Progress is being made against the cholera outbreak in South Sudan with cases declining since July 20, according to the World Health Organization.

Over one 1,500 cholera cases have been reported since the outbreak in June. Children under five and between five and nine years of age were the most affected in Juba and Bor counties.

“Progress is being made in providing access to safe water and sanitation for all populations and improving access to health care services for those who are sick,” Dr. Allan Mpairwe, head of Outbreaks and Disasters Management at WHO in South Sudan, told the Xinhua website.

The WHO attributes the decline in cholera cases to health education campaigns, which it says, have promoted the adoption of appropriate hygiene practices such as hand-washing with soap, safe preparation and storage of food and breastfeeding.

Cholera is a fast-acting bacterial infection that can kill within hours if left untreated and thrives in areas of overcrowding, scarcity of safe water, poor sanitation and nutrition.