Juba International Airport - File photo.

The Ministry of Health and World Health Organization have launched a public emergency center at Juba International Airport to mitigate the spread of yellow fever following an outbreak in Western Equatoria State.

Dr. Ader Macar Achiek, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health said the health surveillance will involve all entry points into the country by air or land.

Dr. Achiek said individuals will not be allowed to enter or leave the country without presenting a yellow fever card.

“We are here to see the level of readiness at Juba Airport as one of the entry points to the country for every traveler going in and out of the country to screen and check to safeguard the country from this outbreak,” Dr. Achiek told the media at Juba International Airport.

The health official said anyone who does not have a yellow fever card must be vaccinated at the point of entry.

“We have to make sure that everyone entering the country must produce a yellow fever card or he or she will be subjected to vaccination before entering the country through any entering points.”

On January 4, 2024, the National Ministry of Health declared a yellow fever outbreak in Yambio County, Western Equatoria State, following the confirmation of several positive cases.

This comes a month after the Ministry deployed a rapid response team to investigate an alert of the viral fever following the death of five people.

Minister Yolanda Awel Deng announced a yellow fever vaccination campaign in Yambio, Nzara and Tambura counties, adding that the vaccine shipment was expected to arrive in few days.

According to Cleveland Clinic, yellow fever is a viral disease spread by the bite of specific kinds of mosquitoes.

These mosquitoes and yellow fever are found in areas of Africa and South America located in the tropics and subtropics. The mosquitoes are infected when they bite primates who have the virus.

The yellow fever virus can have a range of symptoms. Some people may have no symptoms. It can present with mild flu-like symptoms but can also be deadly in its most severe form.

You could have flu-like symptoms with aches, pains and fever or you could begin bleeding and develop liver disease. Symptoms take about three to six days to develop.

People who work or live in the jungles of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America are most affected by yellow fever.