A vaccinator giving the oral cholera vaccine. Photo credit: WHO

The Ministry of Health and partners are planning to launch vaccination campaigns in Malakal of Upper Nile State to mitigate the cholera outbreak in the area.

On Tuesday, the national Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization declared a cholera outbreak in the state capital Malakal.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Thursday morning, Ayong Awer, the deputy governor of Upper Nile disclosed that there were 179 cases of cholera registered in Malakal town.

70 of the cases were reported from the Malakal Protection of Civilians Site.

But the cases have now risen to 220 with one death.

According to Awer, a six-member committee has been formed to oversee the vaccination campaigns that are starting today.

“There is an improvement that is going on, they are working very hard and today (Thursday), they will start vaccinating the people, I formed the committee to supervise the work yesterday (Wednesday).”

Speaking on the state-run television – SSBC, the national Health Minister Yolanda Awel called on the public to observe critical preventive guidelines including regular hand washing and hygiene.

“We are going to embark on a campaign, please come out and make sure that you are part of the campaign, take the cholera vaccination plus protect yourself as well as your family and as well as your nation.”

“The public need not panic, you just need to make sure the small resources that you have in your houses, use fire to boil water, and use the same water that you’re boiling to wash your hand and make sure to wash your dishes with clean drinking water.”

The first cholera outbreak was declared in May 2022 in Unity State’s Rubkona displaced persons’ camp, the largest IDP camp in the country hosting over a hundred thousand people.