A woman carries her baby on her head as she wades through the floodwaters, in Unity State. Photo credit Courtesy
Cholera continues to spread across Unity State, with Mayiendit, Rubkona, and Mayom counties reporting hundreds of new cases this month.
The State Ministry of Health (SMOH) communication officer,
Gatkuoth Kuol Chan, urged community mobilizers to raise awareness about cholera
prevention.
According to Chan, Mayiendit County has reported 379 new
cases, Rubkona County 388, and Mayom County 126 cases in October alone.
“Let us give awareness because cholera is with us in the
area. Let us dig latrines and stop open defecation. Let us boil water and let
us not drink floodwater. These are the only ways we can prevent cholera,” Chan
said.
He warned residents
in fishing areas to avoid defecating where they eat, stressing that flies can
spread disease rapidly.
Molana Godfrey Gaw, County Health Director for Mayiendit,
confirmed that risk communication officers and social mobilizers are actively
engaging communities in all affected payams.
He requested the State Ministry of Health to deploy more
community mobilizers, especially to Mayiendit South, where accessibility issues
and rising cases make outreach difficult.
“The government needs to deploy additional community
mobilizers within these localities, especially in Mayiendit, because most cases
are occurring in Mayiendit South, where accessibility is a problem. These are
the actions that need to be taken,” Gaw stated.
The health authorities continue to emphasize latrine use,
safe water, and hygiene education as key measures to control the outbreak.