By Deng Athian
Governor Sarah Cleto Rial of Western Bahr El Ghazal State and the Minister of Health, Yolanda Awel Deng, met on Wednesday to discuss ways to improve the health sector in the state.
The two leaders discuss strategies to address health-related issues. Of particular concern was the recent outbreak of Yellow Fever in Western Equatoria State, a state bordering WBS.
The discussions also focused on progress and challenges faced by the health sector in Western Bahr El Ghazal State, Wau.
Given the proximity of WBS to Western Equatoria State, the WBS Ministry of Health established a dedicated health task force to prevent the spread of Yellow Fever.
To combat this outbreak effectively, the national Ministry of Health pledged to provide Yellow Fever vaccines, with their arrival expected within the coming weeks.
A senior official from the Ministry of Health in Juba confirmed that the institution or company responsible for supplying the vaccines had been contracted and was currently making preparations for delivery in the country.
Yellow Fever, transmitted through mosquito bites, manifests symptoms such as fever, vomiting, yellowing of the eyes, and nausea, among others.
Ngong Garang Deng, a representative from the National Ministry of Health, urged the public to promptly report any suspected cases of Yellow Fever to the nearest healthcare facility.
“People have to report the suspected symptoms related to the Yellow fever. As the ministry, we only have vaccines from the travellers,” he said.