The South Sudan national health ministry and partners on Monday received 1.1 million doses of oral cholera vaccines to help boost the fight against the current outbreak.
According to the health ministry’s undersecretary, Harriet Pasquale, the latest shipment will be prioritised for the Unity State capital, Bentiu, its environs and other areas that have been hard-hit by the cholera outbreak.
She explained that they have also received another 1.1 million doses of cholera vaccines meant for Juba, Piji and Awil West.
She added, however, that based on their current situation, they have sat with partners and decided that Bentiu needed to be prioritised because of the current situation and because it is leading by far in the number of cases.
According to her, the latest delivery follows the successful vaccination of over 170,000 people in Renk and 30,000 in Juba IDP camps, and the ongoing vaccination campaign in Malakal.
The ministry also anticipates receiving an additional 2.7 million doses to cover other affected counties.
Meanwhile, to improve access, the health ministry has established oral rehydration points within communities and set up additional cholera treatment centers closer to residents.
