The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday called for urgent coordinated efforts by South Sudanese media houses to create public awareness as the cholera outbreak spreads across the country.
In a statement during the closing ceremony of a three-day multi-hazards media training for Juba-based journalists, the WHO incident manager, Dr. Erick Rurangwa, said the cholera outbreak is spreading to the other states including Juba due to the poor hygiene that requires urgent awareness support from the media.
“Many people are not aware that we have a cholera outbreak in six states with more than 18 counties, including Juba affected,” he said. “The people affected in Juba are increasing because of poor hygiene and how we take sanitation issues. We need your (media) support to give the right message, especially for healthy behavior and hygiene promotion.”
Dr. Rurangwa said WHO and the health ministry are working to get cholera vaccines to mitigate the situation and the media should support mobilization.
“Your (media) support is important and with your message from your media houses, we know we can get this done. Once you take the vaccine, you are protected for five years. If people get vaccines regularly, we can beat cholera,” he said. “I kindly request your media houses to pass the key messages about the cholera outbreak and control in South Sudan.”
For his part, Dr. Angelo Goup Thon Kouch. Director of Health Security, Emergency Workforce Development and One Health at the National Ministry of Health said the skills the journalists acquired will contribute to overcoming the cholera outbreak.
“This training will be a big benefit in the short and long run. You are going to contribute to fighting this cholera outbreak by conveying messages to the public and by communicating the right information. Today we talked in detail about risk communication in crisis and gave you some good tips on how you can communicate,” he stated. “Cholera has spread and we need messages to reach these people on the ground about preventive measures, things related to pandemics and contaminated water. We need to give messages so that we protect our people from cholera and other diseases.”
Meanwhile, the journalists’ representative, John Agok, said they had acquired skills and knowledge and would give the public the right information regarding the cholera outbreak and other diseases.
“We have gained and acquired skills and knowledge in the last three days and the media and journalists will not let down the public and give the right information at the right time regarding the outbreaks of various diseases in the country,” he said. “Right now we are equipped and our capacity is built.”
On 28 October, the health ministry declared a cholera outbreak in Upper Nile State’s Renk County. It has since spread to Malakal, Bentiu, Aweil, and other parts of the country, including Juba. On Friday, the state health ministry reported 169 cholera cases and nine deaths.