By Manas James
Cases of Tuberculosis (TB) are on the rise in Ayod County of Jonglei State since the beginning of the year.
According to health authorities, at least 45 cases have been recorded but without treatment.
Speaking to No. 1 Citizen Newspaper, the county health director, Maker Mathot Nyuon said the rising tuberculosis cases are exacerbated by lack of treatment regimens for patients.
He revealed that 17 death cases are known to have occurred in 2022 alone.
“We are talking about cases in our registry; we have 45 cases, let alone the ones in the community. These cases are common among the elderly and the children,” he said.
He said they lack TB medication even for those in the registry, adding that they only prescribe pain relief
“These drugs we have are for first aid and emergencies. We also lack a referral facility. TB is really killing people. Sometimes people could go to Old Fangak and Langkien to seek treatment. Cases of Kala-Azar are also there, with 15 active cases,” he said.
On his part, James Chuol Jiek, the Ayod County commissioner, appealed for health intervention.
“Our situation is dire, and this is worsening with the arrival of a large number of people from Sudan. We lack medication for TB and other diseases. So, we appeal to aid agencies to come to our assistance. There are so many cases of TB with huge mortalities,” he stressed.
TB is a serious infectious disease that affects mainly the lungs. Caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, the disease leads to serious complications and death if left untreated.