South Sudanese health authorities on Sunday declared a measles outbreak in the country following a constant increase in the number of confirmed cases during the last 38 epidemiological weeks, reported The CGTN Africa.
On Sunday, John Rumunu, Director General for Preventive Health Services in the Ministry of Health, said 31 deaths and 2,471 measles cases have been reported in 22 counties across the country so far.
“Based on the number of laboratory-confirmed measles cases across the country, the National Ministry of Health hereby declares a measles outbreak in South Sudan,” Rumunu told reporters in South Sudanese capital Juba.
He added that there have been a number of measles outbreak in South Sudan since 2021 primarily due to the interrupted routine immunisation services and inadequate implementation of supplementary immunisation activities.
He said that the last national measles immunisation campaign was conducted in 2020 with vaccination coverage of less than 85 per cent, which is below the 95 per cent recommended target.
Rumunu added that they will conduct an immediate epidemiological investigation to determine the extent of disease transmission, strengthen routine immunisation services across the country, conduct measles immunisation campaigns, and manage complications arising from the disease.
South Sudan has been gripped by calamity since the army overthrew long-time leader Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned of the worsening humanitarian situation caused by the intensifying armed conflict in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state. The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of vulnerable people so far.
According to the UN’s refugee agency, at least 20,000 people have fled since August, including several thousand over the border. Since last month, around 9,000 people – mostly women and children – have been displaced after battles between armed factions erupted in Upper Nile’s Fashoda County.
On Sunday, Pope Francis said he is concerned about recent deadly clashes in the northern part of South Sudan. He is scheduled to travel to South Sudanese capital city, Juba, in just under eight weeks.
