Amuru raises alert levels as cholera kills 3 in South Sudan

Elegu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health authorities in Amuru district are on high alert following an outbreak of cholera disease in the neighboring Nimule Township in South Sudan that has claimed the lives of three people. , Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

According to local authorities, the disease was first reported on June 7 in Nimule Township, with 12 cases confirmed so far. Two patients are reportedly currently admitted for medical treatment, while 10have been discharged.

Nimule Township borders Elegu Town Council in Uganda, one of the busiest entry and exit points between the two countries, with daily cross-border movements of traders, passengers, and cargo transporters.

Health officials in Amuru district, however, say the heavy human traffic between the two countries, coupled with the poor sanitation at the busy border points, could pose a high risk for the transmission of the disease.

Amuru District Health Officer Dr. Alfred Okello told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that a surveillance team at the Elegu border point has since been activated following the confirmation of the disease across South Sudan’s Nimule Township.

Dr Okello said while no case of the disease had been reported yet at Elegu, the district is on high alert to prevent any possibilities of transmission.

“This is like an alertness that we want to have because we have an outbreak on the other side of Nimule. So we are saying, as a district, as a country, we should be on high alert because any time we shall be having cases of cholera,” said Dr Okello.

According to Dr. Okello, the Amuru district health department received a communication from their counterparts in Nimule Township notifying them to be on the lookout for possible transmission.

He said they are currently conducting sensitization among the local communities, especially in Elegu Town Council, to adhere to standard health procedures of observing hygiene and handwashing.

Dr Okello said he is now seeking the support of stakeholders to help build awareness and facilitate sensitization initiatives aimed at preventing any possible outbreak of the disease.

Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner, in a press statement called on the local population at the Elegu Border Point to be vigilant.

“We call upon all individuals in the border community to remain vigilant and report any signs of vomiting or diarrhea to Port Health authorities without delay. Your health is your wealth, and together, we can prevent the spread of cholera,” the statement partly reads.

Oceng urged the community members at Elegu and travelers to adhere to set standard health precautions that include regulations of roadside hawking of food items and ensuring proper health hygiene.

He noted that the district is collaborating with stakeholders and the health ministry to mobilize rapid diagnostic test kits (RDT) for onsite testing.

Amuru district registered cases of cholera in February last year. The confirmed cases were from four Sudanese asylum seekers who had crossed into the country through the Elegu border point in January 2024.

In the neighboring Lamwo district, health officials in April this year contained an outbreak of cholera that killed one person and infected a total of 106 people in Agoro Sub-county. The disease was first detected in January in the parishes of Ngacino, Poba, Laruc, Lopulingi, Lorunya, and Pawac, all in Agoro Sub-county.

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