child meningitis_1 Radio Tamajuj

The Minister of Health in Buma State says more than 30 people have died of suspected malaria in a remote village since the beginning of this month.

Okuny Simon says the deaths were reported in Meun Payam, in a mountainous area close to the Ethiopian Border.
Mr Okuny told Eye Radio that a team was sent to the area for an assessment.

“We get the information in mid-March and then we tried to organize everything. By the end of the March, we sent out a team to go to investigate the cause of death,” Mr Okuny said.

“It was about 15 children below age of five and then the other deaths, 15 cases, related to the outbreak of malaria and diarrhea. But we just started working out with the Ministry of Health and MSF and with the Red Cross,” he said.

Mr Okuny says some medicines were delivered to the area two weeks ago.

But an MP representing the area in the state assembly says the situation has not improved.

John Dunyi, who represented Kachipo community in the state assembly, told Eye Radio that the rise in malaria cases was caused by lack of medical services.

“Now as we talk, 37 people died and yesterday two people died. Mostly they are children,” Mr Dunyi.

“Malaria is very high and then also the disease that you find through water and when you take it like this … it make your stomach very big but mostly people are complaining that diarrhea, vomiting, and coughing occur there but we didn’t found a time but this is what they told us on the ground there,” he said.