South Sudan News

Juba, 10 December 2024 – Vaccinations have begun in response to a cholera outbreak in South Sudan.  Since 28 October 2024, a total of 2555 cases and 32 deaths have been reported, about 37% of them children. Some 150 000 people in Renk County are set to receive the life-saving vaccinations, procured and delivered with UN support. Over a million more vaccine doses are on the way to reach people across the country, including in the capital, Juba.

Juba, 30 November 2024—In response to cholera outbreaks in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) has secured over 282 153 doses of oral cholera vaccine to implement vaccination campaigns in areas identified as cholera transmission hotspots. 

Juba, 11 November 2024: A nationwide campaign aimed at vaccinating 3.3 million children from 0 to 59 months of age against polio launched in South Sudan using the novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2. 

The campaign led by the Ministry of Health, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other partners, is in response to the confirmation of 12 cases of circulating variant poliovirus across eight counties in Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Upper Nile, and Jonglei States. 

Juba – Health authorities in South Sudan have declared a cholera outbreak in Renk, a county located on the northern border of Sudan and the main point of entry for refugees and returnees fleeing the ongoing armed conflict in that country. A total of 50 suspected cases with six confirmed cases were reported among refugees, returnees and the host community as of 28 October 2024.

Juba, 28 October 2024—The Ministry of Health has declared a cholera outbreak today in Renk, Upper Nile State. This declaration comes after reports of 44 suspected cholera cases, and six laboratory-confirmed cases on 23 October 2024 in Renk, Upper Nile State. As of 27 October 2024, 49 cholera cases have been reported among refugees, returnees, and local communities.

Juba ‒ South Sudan is witnessing some of its worst flooding in decades that has caused widespread devastation in several parts of the country and has so far left more than 226 000 people displaced, homes, livelihood impacted with roads and key infrastructure submerged and several communities devastated.

South Sudan has embarked on a groundbreaking initiative in bolstering its mortality surveillance system by enhancing the capacities of health workers through training. The aim is to improve the collection of accurate disease data, enhance reporting and completeness, and streamline health services, ultimately informing health outcomes.

Despite global efforts, mpox remains a significant public health concern, with ongoing cases and outbreaks posing a threat, especially to those with weakened immune systems.

With generous support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), WHO has procured advanced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits to aid mpox detection. These kits equip the National Public Health Laboratory with essential tools to rapidly test and enhance detection of the virus.

Juba ‒ Cecilia Achuwor, a 38-year-old mother of six children, is one of the hundreds of thousands of refugees and returnees who have crossed the border into South Sudan since the beginning of the conflict in neighbouring Sudan 16 months ago. “My husband remains in Khartoum,” she says. “We separated from him without any communication. He doesn’t know where we are and we also don’t know where he is. I am here alone with the children, and they are all sick,” she says.

In South Sudan, where challenges like disease outbreaks, limited healthcare access, conflicts, and flooding are frequent, there's a strong push to improve health services.

With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global partners, the country has embarked on its Second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.