Child admitted at Juba's IDPS camp. (Photo: Courtesy).

The Minister of Health in Central Equatoria has reported 169 cholera cases and nine deaths while Northern Bahr el Ghazal reported 143 suspected cases on Friday as the water-borne disease threatens to spiral out of control in the country.

CES Health Minister Najwa Juma Mursal said the majority of the cases spread across 9 Payams of Juba County and 3 blocks of Juba City Council.

Ms. Mursal said health authorities have been working to contain the spread of the disease, while emphasizing the importance of hygiene and sanitation in the affected areas.

In a press briefing after informing the Governor of Central Equatoria State, H.E. Augustino Jadalla Kamilo Wani, Minister Najwa, confirmed the alarming rise in cases, which have been registered since the outbreak was first reported in September.

“The situation of cholera in Central Equatoria; up to Thursday, were registered 169 confirmed case of cholera with 9 deaths that registered in 9 Payams of Juba County including the three blocks of Juba City Council.”

South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak on 28th October and has since recorded 243 cases and six deaths amid rapid spread, prompting the government to describe the situation as significant public health challenge.

At a press briefing on 17th November, Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng said the outbreak has spread beyond the epicenter in Renk to Malakal, Juba, Aweil and other parts of the country exacerbated by the prevailing humanitarian crises including the influx of people from war-torn Sudan.

She said the health ministry has established an incident management system (IMS) to ensure a multi-sectoral cholera response and prevention including enhancing surveillance and laboratory capacity.

The cholera outbreak has rapidly escalated to several areas including Malakal, Aweil, Juba and Bentiu.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health in Northern Bahr el Ghazal said several counties have registered 143 suspected cholera cases – with 10 of them confirmed so far.

NBGs Health Minister Ring Ring Lual Dau said the situation requires swift intervention from the government and partners to prevent further spread and deaths.

In an interview with Eye Radio from Aweil on Friday, Minister Dau said that the cholera outbreak is concerning.

“The number of cholera cases in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state is 119 cases plus 24 cases from the side of the Ministry of health, the total of the suspected case of cholera is 143 cases,” he said.

“We are doing the primary rapid diagnostics test here in the state, so ten patients have been confirmed to have cholera in Aweil hospital.”

He said in the Wed-Wiel refugee settlement, 20 cases have been confirmed mostly from the refugee population, except one person from the local community.

On December 4, the Chairperson of Juba’s Internally Displaced Persons camp 3 said three people have died of suspected cholera cases and nine others have been admitted to hospital with similar symptoms.

Elijah Hon said they have reported the incidents to the state government, the Ministry of Health and the UN Mission in South Sudan.

Mr. Hon. described the hygiene and sanitation situation in the camp as tragic and called on the government and humanitarian partners to intervene and save lives.

He said the local hospital is closed after the International Medical Corps (IMC) which previously managed it left, adding that there is no other public health facility in the camp.

Further, Unity State has recorded 195 cholera cases and five related deaths while Jonglei State reported 15 such cases amid the countrywide cholera outbreak declared in October 2024, health authorities said.

The Acting Director General at Unity State’s Ministry of Health Bany Makon – in an interview with Eye Radio on Wednesday – said the state has since recorded 195 suspected cases.

Makon said out of 195 suspect cases, the health ministry recorded five deaths while the other 46 cases are active cases undertreatment in the area.

Meanwhile, in Jonglei State, the Minister of Health Lual Monyluak has reported 15 confirmed cases of cholera. He said the cases were reported in the northern part of the state.

Cholera is a deadly disease transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water, leaving patients with severe acute watery diarrhea and it can kill within hours if left untreated, according to WHO.

Most people infected with V. cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their feaces for 1–10 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.

Among people who develop symptoms, the majority have mild or moderate symptoms and a minority of patients develop acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration.

On December 1, the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), has secured over 282,153 doses of oral cholera vaccine to initiate a vaccination campaigns in cholera transmission hotspots across the country.

The oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is supplied by the International Coordinating Group (ICG), which coordinates and manages the global stockpile of vaccines for countries during cholera outbreaks, WHO said in a statement.

It added that the drugs consignment will be used to implement a two-dose mass vaccination campaign in Renk and Malakal Counties of Upper Nile State.