A child receives oral cholera vaccine in South Sudan. Photo: Ella Glass, Courtesy of Medair (2017)

Unity State has recorded 195 cholera cases and five related deaths while Jonglei State reported 15 such cases amid the countrywide cholera outbreak declared in October 2024, health authorities said.

South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak on 28th October and has since recorded 243 cases and six deaths amid rapid spread, prompting the government to describe the situation as significant public health challenge.

At a press briefing on 17th November, Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng said the outbreak has spread beyond the epicenter in Renk to Malakal, Juba, Aweil and other parts of the country exacerbated by the prevailing humanitarian crises including the influx of people from war-torn Sudan.

She said the health ministry has established an incident management system (IMS) to ensure a multi-sectoral cholera response and prevention including enhancing surveillance and laboratory capacity.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director General at Unity State’s Ministry of Health – in an interview with Eye Radio on Wednesday – said the state has since recorded 195 suspected cases.

Bany Makon said out of 195 suspect cases, the health ministry recorded five deaths while the other 46 cases are active cases undertreatment in the area.

“Up to yesterday, the state minister of health has recorded 195 suspected cases of cholera. 54 cases among these are all confirmed positive in the lab and then we have also recorded five deaths,” he said.

“Currently, we have 46 admissions that are still active cases and then we have discharged so far 144 recovered and are being discharged in good condition.”

In response, the state health official said the government and partners have taken steps good step to address the matter.

“The minister of health has already formed a task force that is having meeting regularly to address the challenges and to address other emerging challenges from those centers that were set.”

“We have set some centers including a cholera treatment unit and is a cholera treatment center where the referral is taking place. So we also set up a team of surveillance that gives reports in daily basis.”

He further said the government has set up a team creating awareness campaigns in the communities on prevention measures.

Meanwhile, in Jonglei State, the Minister of Health Lual Monyluak has reported 15 confirmed cases of cholera. He said the cases were reported in the northern part of the state.

“In the northern side of Jonglei, we have cases since the 17th November. 15 well, the testing became positive in Fiji County. Especially in Canal, we received more than 15 cases.”

He revealed that the state government together with its international partners have formed the taskforces to addressed the matter.

“We formed a team in the last week and we sent the team yesterday, the team arrived in the area. Team from the Ministry and the WHO, they went into the area. Also, we called our partners to come in.”

This morning, the Chairperson of the internally displaced persons camp 3 in Juba said three people have died of suspected cholera among nine others admitted to hospital with similar symptoms.

Elijah Hon said they have reported the incidents to the state government, the Ministry of Health and the UN Mission in South Sudan.

Mr. Hon described the hygiene and sanitation situation in the camp as tragic and calls on the government and humanitarian partners to intervene and save lives.

He said the camp residents are enduring limited access to clean water and unhygienic situation caused by undisposed garbage and open defecation.

“In PoC-3 here we have cases of cholera. Yesterday (Tuesday), three died and there were nine cases during the day and night times. The issue is that we don’t have a hospital.”

He narrated that the camp residents are enduring limited access to clean water and unhygienic condition caused by undisposed garbage and open defecation.

He urged the health partners to deliver cholera vaccines  and raise awareness on the disease prevention and treatment.

“We reported it to UN and now we are reporting to the government through the media, so that the ministry of health in the state and national government can come and do something for us, like establishing centers for our people, and  get drugs.”

The Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), has secured over 282,153 doses of oral cholera vaccine to initiate a vaccination campaigns in cholera transmission hotspots across the country.

The oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is supplied by the International Coordinating Group (ICG), which coordinates and manages the global stockpile of vaccines for countries during cholera outbreaks, WHO said in a statement.

Cholera is a deadly disease transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water, leaving patients with severe acute watery diarrhea and it can kill within hours if left untreated, according to WHO.

Most people infected with V. cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their feaces for 1–10 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.

Among people who develop symptoms, the majority have mild or moderate symptoms and a minority of patients develop acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration.