By Yien Gattour
Health authorities in Longchuk County have confirmed 19 deaths and 249 cases of measles following an outbreak in Upper Nile State.
The Longchuk County Health Director General, Gatkuoth Nuer told the No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Tuesday that the cases were reported in the second week of June.
“We have confirmed 99 cases in the second week of June, 13 of whom have died. In July, we recorded 150 cases, six have been confirmed dead, 94 recoveries, 50 cases are still taking treatment at Longchuk primary health care unit (PHCU),” Gatkuoth disclosed.
He said samples taken to Juba were returned last week, indicating positive results.
“Among the 249 confirmed cases, most of them were children, and there are a total number of 19 measles death cases, but some are in severe conditions,” he said.
Gatkuoth said they are worried that the infectious disease which would spread in the nearby congested areas of Longchuk County and among those displaced by war in Sudan.
He disclosed that they are planning to evacuate children with severe measles to another health facility in Longchuk.
The director added that they were working with the World Health Organization and other humanitarian partners to conduct a measles public awareness campaign to disseminate prevention messages to the population, especially in Longchuk.
On February 23, a measles outbreak was declared in South Sudan in the three counties of Torit, Maban, and Tambura in the Eastern Equatoria, Upper Nile, and Western Equatoria states, respectively.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that affects mostly children. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability among young children.
There is no specific treatment for measles, but there is no vaccination to protect measles from the disease, which is both safe and cost-effective.