The National Minister of Health, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, says at least 11 people have so far died of cholera in Juba.

The ministry said the new cases originated from Gudelle, Juba Nabari, Gabat, Mauna, New Site, Nyakuron, and Munuki residential areas.

While all cases reported have been in Juba, it has raised fears for the huge numbers of people who are surviving without proper shelter, clean drinking water and toilets, especially those sheltering at UN bases.

Addressing journalists yesterday, the Minister of Health, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, said the first case was diagnosed last month and the result was confirmed to be cholera.

“As a requirement of the WHO, we are required to declare even if it is a single case; it is declared,” said Dr Kok. “It’s made public because, you don’t hide cholera.”

He assured the public that the Ministry is working to contain the situation, and urged them not to panic.

Dr. Kok said the Ministry of Health with support from partners has conducted cholera vaccination campaigns in I-D-P camps around the country.

He said they have so far vaccinated over 160,000 people in different camps.

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, and its symptoms are mainly watery diarrhea and vomiting.

It’s transmitted mainly by drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated by waste product of an infected person.

Keep the town clean, prevent further cholera outbreak

As a result, the Juba City Council says it is putting strict sanitary measures in place in order to keep the town clean.

Addressing a press conference, the Mayor of Juba, Christopher Serafino Swaka, said the steps to be taken by his administration will affect some businesses in Juba.

“It’s not about organization and order, it is about livelihood – life and death,” he said.

“So, we’re going to come up with some local orders at the level of the city and would like to take this opportunity to be able to ask all the concerned people, the people who work with us very closely in the micro-businesses levels in the city – the people who are providing water, restaurants’ owners, bakeries, that they should comply with these strict local orders that we are going to come with to immediately try and mitigate this situation that we are [facing].”

Early this month, the Juba City Council banned vendors from selling goods around Custom roundabout in a bid to keep the city clean.