Malakal Protection of Civilian Site in Upper Nile State. (Photo: MSF).

Health Authorities in Upper Nile state have so far documented close to 600 cholera cases including two deaths amid the vaccination campaigns against the disease outbreak in recent weeks.

According to the state information Minister, the cases rose from the 220 cases reported on March 7^TH, 2023.

“In Malakal as of yesterday we have recorded 556 cases, these are the cases recorded since 22 February up to date,” said Buyini Ernest.

“Out  of these  cases, some were treated and discharged from the hospital.”

Two weeks ago, the national Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization declared a cholera outbreak in the Upper Nile State capital, Malakal.

The waterborne disease outbreak has been reported inside the Malakal Protection of Civilian Site and Malakal town.

According to Upper Nile Health Minister Buyini Ernest, 345 of the cases representing 62% were recorded in Malakal town and 211 cases represent 38% were reported from the Protection of Civilians Site.

Minister Ernest disclosed that the vaccination exercise is still ongoing, and the state authorities have embarked on a cleaning campaign in both Malakal town and the PoC.

“The state health ministry has carried out vaccination  in Malakal town and in POC which ended the day before yesterday, and we covered the whole town and POC,”

“The state government also formed a task force committee to tackle the outbreak, and the committee visited the market and public places, and it has directed the town mayor, his deputies, and health officials to make sure the cleaning process is carried out and they have started already, he dded.

The outbreak in Upper Nile has been linked with poor hygiene, lack of access to safe drinking water and poor sanitation facilities in the overcrowded camps.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with vibrio cholerae bacteria.

This is when a person swallow food or water contaminated with Cholera bacteria.