An acute watery diarrhoea epidemic that has affected hundreds of people in South Sudan has peaked with fewer cases now being reported in the regional capital of Juba, a health official said.
Five counties out of around 50 in South Sudan have reported cases of acute watery diarrhoea in the last five weeks, according to data provided by the government, with at least 640 cases and 45 deaths.
Cholera was confirmed in Juba and Magwi, while suspected cases were being investigated in Terekeka, Awerial and Lopa. This week, however, the cases in Juba fell to 157 with one death, compared to 241 with 11 deaths a week ago.
"The reduction in cases can mean that the number of people coming to the clinics has reduced," said Alfred Alunyo, public health officer at the UN World Health Organization (WHO) office for Southern Sudan and a member of the epidemiological response team. "But we believe that the reduction in cases reported at centres reflects a reduction in actual cases."
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which has allocated funds to provide water purification tablets and soap to at least 360,000 people in Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria, has called for quick action to contain the epidemic.
"South Sudan has been experiencing acute watery diarrhoea outbreaks almost yearly," John Roche, IFRC’s operations coordinator for Africa, said. "Epidemics occurred in 2006 and 2007 as well. Medical evidence shows that at least some of the cases recently reported are due to cholera.
"There is a need to act quickly and limit the spread of the epidemic especially by raising awareness among local communities," he added.
New outbreak in Eastern Equatoria?
Alunyo said investigations had started into a possible new outbreak in Eastern Equatoria. "We have just received a report of an outbreak in Loka, around Lakon (Eastern Equatoria State)," he told IRIN in Juba.
"A sample has been sent to Nairobi for analysis. If correct, this is the latest attack; since January we have had attacks [in] Owiny Kibul, Yei, Parajok, Juba."
 South Sudan has been experiencing acute watery diarrhoea outbreaks almost yearly |
The disease is usually spread by contaminated water and food, but can be controlled through hygienic disposal of human faeces, consumption of adequate safe drinking water, and good food hygiene.
Juba has neither a functioning water nor sewerage system. Whatever existed in the 1950s and 1960s was destroyed in over two decades of conflict between the South and North.
Across South Sudan, millions of people, especially women and children, lack access to adequate safe drinking water, according to the UN Children's Fund.
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