30 June 2015 - Interviews with patients admitted to Juba Teaching Hospital with cholera have revealed knowledge gaps on how the disease is spread, according to the latest report from the national Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Intensive interventions in the form of social mobilization and health education on cholera presentation and prevention… are required to prevent further escalation in Juba and spread to other counties outside Juba,” said the report.

Partners also called for improved access to safe drinking water, latrine use and good personal and food hygiene.

As of 28 June, a total of 396 cholera cases, including 26 deaths, had been reported in Juba County, the report said.

It added that out of 387 cholera cases with known age, 53 were children less than five years of age.

According to the report, most cases were reported from New Site, followed by UNMISS protection site 3, as well as Gumbo, Gudele 2, Kor William and Munuki localities.

“The cases from distant locations like Jebel Lado and Jezira in Gondkoro reported using untreated water from the River Nile, while cases from New Site (constituting the majority) reported getting their water from a combination of unprotected wells and water tankers,” the report said.

There were at least five alerts of suspected cholera cases reported outside Juba which were being followed up the respective state and county response teams, the report noted. These included Kajo Keji County, Central Equatoria State, the Jonglei State capital Bor, the Eastern Equatoria State capital Torit and the Lakes State capital Rumbek.

The humanitarian health cluster and government were taking diverse measures to respond to the outbreak, including an updated communication strategy to “ensure broad reach of the public with cholera prevention and hygiene promotion messages”.

The report listed other steps like identifying partners to set up additional treatment centres, given increased caseloads at Juba Teaching Hospital, designating at least three fueled ambulances to facilitate patient referrals to treatment centres.

Vaccination campaigns were conducted in UNMISS Juba and Unity State capital Bentiu protection sites, and plans were underway for similar exercises in other high risk areas in Juba, Torit and the UNMISS protection site in the Upper Nile State capital Malakal.