JUBA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan, in collaboration with United Nations (UN) agencies, on Tuesday announced plans to vaccinate 150,000 people in northern Renk County, Upper Nile State, in response to a cholera outbreak that has been ongoing since October.
Renk County, the primary entry point for Sudanese refugees and returnees into South Sudan, reported its first cholera case on Oct. 28. The outbreak has since affected 2,555 people and claimed 32 lives, according to a joint statement issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and South Sudan's Ministry of Health in Juba, the capital of Sudan.
"The cholera outbreak response requires a coordinated and urgent multi-sectoral approach, extending far beyond the health sector. The UN is committed to working closely with the Government of South Sudan to ensure inclusive coordination, clear public communication, and transparent data sharing, essential for effective preparedness, readiness, and response," said Anita Kiki Gbeho, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan.
Minister of Health Yolanda Awel Deng said an additional one million vaccine doses are expected to target vulnerable populations across the country, including in Juba.
According to the WHO, refugees, returnees, and residents are the most affected by the outbreak, particularly children under the age of five and the elderly. Contributing factors include limited access to clean water, poor sanitation, open defecation, and overcrowding in transit centers and camps.
"Vaccination is just one part of a multi-sectoral response and the most cost-effective tool to control the outbreak. The UN has trained and deployed rapid response teams, as well as delivering 22 metric tonnes of medical and cholera supplies to Renk, Malakal, Juba, and Bentiu," the agency said.
Efforts also include establishing treatment facilities and rehydration points. The WHO, however, emphasized the urgent need for 32 million U.S. dollars to sustain the first three months of the emergency response to the cholera outbreak. The funds will strengthen current operations, deploy response teams to newly identified hotspots, maintain essential health services, and procure and distribute additional emergency supplies. ■
