Current Situation
On 23 June 2015, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak in Juba County. According to WHO, as of the end of the day on 28 June 2015, a total of 396 cholera cases including 26 deaths (case fatality rate of 6.6 per cent) have been reported from 64 villages in eight payams of Juba County. The cases have been traced back to an initial case reported on 18 May 2015 in Juba Protection of Civilian (PoC) site. The majority of cases have been reported from the New site followed by Juba PoC, Gumbo, Gudele 2, Kor William, and Munuki.
Fourteen suspected cases including 1 death have been reported in Bor, Jonglei State, with confirmation by rapid diagnostic testing. One the causes of the potential outbreak in Bor may be the estimated that 25,000 people who fetch their water from swamps along a River Nile tributary in Bor town. Three further suspected cases have been reported in Eastern Equatoria. An alert from Kajo Keji is also being followed up. MoH, UNICEF, WHO and partners are increasing surveillance and prevention activities across the country, with particular focus on cholera hot spot areas.
Fourteen per cent of the suspected cases are children under 5. Cholera is particularly dangerous for young children as it causes rapid and severe dehydration due to excessive diarrhoea and vomiting. Without urgent action, UNICEF estimates that up to 5,000 children throughout the country are at risk from cholera.
UNICEF and its implementing partners are undertaking a comprehensive, multisectoral response in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, WHO and other partners. Cholera control interventions including enhanced surveillance and laboratory testing, communication using multimedia channels on cholera prevention, and improving access to safe water, sanitation, and personal hygiene are ongoing with priority given to high-risk populations.