A massive cholera vaccination campaign is underway in South Sudan, with over 1.1 million doses of oral cholera vaccine arriving in the capital, Juba.
The government aims to inoculate more than 80% of the population, targeting mostly children and mothers, in an effort to combat the deadly disease.
However, the exercise faces significant challenges, including limited access to areas hardest hit by the outbreak.
At least 29 of the 79 counties in South Sudan have reported cholera cases, with Bentiu, Renk, and Juba being the most affected.
The country’s Ministry of Health reported 199 deaths and over 13,000 diagnosed cases of cholera as of last week.
Dr. Gabriel Boum Tap, an immunization officer at UNICEF in South Sudan, highlighted the difficulties in obtaining sufficient vaccine doses, stating that the cholera vaccine is not readily available.
The situation is dire, with victims like Thinjin Khoat sharing heartbreaking stories of loved ones lost to the disease.
Khoat emphasized the struggles in accessing healthcare due to flooding and security concerns in areas like Bentiu.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) attributes the cholera outbreak to poor living conditions in South Sudan, creating an ideal environment for the disease to spread. Stephanie Ngai, MSF’s project coordinator for cholera response in Bentiu, is working to combat the outbreak in the region.
Despite these challenges, medics in South Sudan are determined to vaccinate at least 9 million people against cholera. The vaccine doses will be dispatched to hotspots like Bentiu in the coming weeks.
