By Yiep Joseph
Authorities in Warrap State are alarmed by a recent registration of ten snakebite cases in the flood-affected Mangar-Ajak village.
In an interview, Warrap State Minister of Information and Communication, Wol Mayom, confirmed that a team of seven, including the Minister of Health verified the incidents.
“We started yesterday by assessing the village called Mangar-Ajak village, and in that one village we have recorded 10 cases(snakebite) comprised of women, men, including children,” Wol said.
He expressed worries that as assessment continues, more cases of snake bites will surface as most areas remain flooded.
“No one is reported to have died, and it is only one village. I think if we continue to investigate the other villages, we will get cases related to death and more cases,” he said.
Fortunately, Wol revealed that the victims are in good condition. He added that they are being treated with local herbs as part of the rescue efforts.
The information minister stated that the people affected by the snake bites did not seek help from nearby facilities and instead relied on local herbs.
“They did not get antivenoms because, according to the locals we interacted with, they did not even report to the nearest health facility; they are part and parcel of Kuajok town; they could have actually been supposed to receive anti-venous from Kuajok hospital,” he explained.
He added that the severe flooding has displaced over 200 households, forcing families to seek temporary shelter along the Kuajok-Gogrial Highway after their homes collapsed.
However, Wol revealed that the state remains vulnerable to respond immediately but continues to engage partners.
“Currently we have no prevention as a state, but we are engaging our partners to actually put their hands into the immediate affected population,” he said.
“But our support as a state is underway; we are collaborating with the National Minister of Humanitarian Affairs,” he added
In a separate development, Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, teams in South Sudan have embraced AI technology to identify snakes and improve snakebite response.
The innovative initiative aims to develop a robust snake identification database using a collection of over 380,000 snake images.
This software, crafted to assist medical staff in real-time, focuses on distinguishing between venomous and harmless snake species and recommending appropriate actions to treat patients.
Between January and the end of July 2024, more than 300 patients had been treated in MSF medical facilities across South Sudan.