3 June 2014 - The number of daily cholera cases had significantly declined in South Sudan, Minister of Health Riek Gai Kuk said in Juba today.

“There was a total of 1,124 cumulative cases as of 1 June,” said Dr. Kuk, who declared an outbreak of the disease in Juba on 15 May. “However, we have noted a decline in the number of admissions on a daily basis.”

Dr. Kuk commended health partners for their combined efforts in responding to the outbreak, adding that their “strategy has worked well”.

“We are one team with only one objective -- to defeat cholera,” said Dr. Kuk, noting that President Salva Kiir had also appreciated the efforts and donated 300,000 South Sudanese pounds (about $100,000) to the campaign.

The partners, including government ministries, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations, are involved in community based surveillance, awareness campaigns, training health workers, collecting garbage and installing hand washing facilities.

Dr. Kuk said training local staff was an example that “the principle of helping locals to help themselves has been realized in this intervention”.

He said it was also commendable that South Sudan had been able to conduct local confirmations of cholera cases at the national laboratory with partners’ support for the first time, without needing to send suspected samples to neighbouring countries.

Partners were also carrying out other activities like burial supervision, dead body management and disinfection of deceaseds households, he noted.

According to a 1 June situational report from the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 27 deaths since the first case was detected on 23 April 2014. Sixteen of these occurred in health facilities, while another 11 were community deaths.

“The majority of deaths reported in hospital died on arrival, hence the need to strengthen community case detection and prompt initiation of (oral rehydration) treatment, while immediate referral to the nearest Cholera Treatment Centre is being organized,” the report said.

Dr. Kuk said it was vital to step up awareness so that it would become “part of the culture” of South Sudanese people, even after the outbreak was contained.

WHO Acting Officer-in-Charge Dr. Abdinaisir Abubakar noted there were less daily admissions, but it was too early to declare the outbreak “contained”.

“There are increasing rumours and suspected cases spreading out of Juba, as well as confirmed cases in other parts of the country,” he said. “We need to keep the pressure on.”