SOUTH SUDAN—Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has deployed a team of technical experts to support the Ministry of Health (MoH) in South Sudan to investigate and manage a disease outbreak of suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF).
The Africa CDC received an official report and appeal from the MoH in South Sudan for technical support to investigate the mysterious disease.
The VHF suspected illness cases were reported by the Nile Initiative Development Organization (NIDO) during a supervisory visit to the Dajo Primary Health Care Unit.
Specifically, patients were presenting symptoms like the Viral Haemorrhagic Fever disease in the remote areas of Dukubela, Pacime, and Dajo areas of Longechuck County, Upper Nile State.
Moreover, the area has recently seen an influx of returning residents and refugees from the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
NIDO found that the disease seemed to have originated from Dukubela, a mountainous area of Longechuk county that borders the Southern Blue Nile in Sudan and Assosa areas in Ethiopia.
NIDO also reported that the disease had affected approximately 150 people, resulting in 23 deaths.
The report from NIDO also detailed that deaths occurred within three days of the onset of the disease and those who survived past the initial five days showed signs of improvement.
In response to the health crisis, the Ministry of Health, alongside the World Health Organization in the country, swiftly dispatched a multidisciplinary Rapid Response Team to Longechuk county.
This team delivered medical supplies, carried out disease-specific consultations and conducted active case finding in the Dajo & Pacime communities.
The Africa CDC step in and also deployed technical experts to support the Ministry of Health in conducting a comprehensive risk assessment.
Current efforts by both the Africa CDC and WHO are to support the South Sudanese government in the development of a comprehensive national response plan, and strengthening capacity in coordination, surveillance, laboratory operations and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE).
The Africa CDC in its initial assessment reports that symptoms observed in the affected individuals include high fever, bloody vomiting and stool, rash, cough, sore throat, red eyes, runny nose, blurred vision, and generalized weakness.
After a thorough field investigation, the Rapid Response Team line-listed 227 suspected cases and 29 related deaths.
Laboratory tests for 45 samples confirmed cases of malaria and measles, with 71% of samples testing positive for malaria, 58% for measles and a co-infection rate of 45%.
Despite that all the 45 samples tested negative for viral haemorrhagic fevers, ruling it out as a potential source of the outbreak, health authorities remain on high alert by maintaining surveillance measures in place to promptly identify and respond to any disease threat.
Hon. Dr. Ader Macar Aciek, Undersecretary, Ministry of Health said, “Our strategy includes escalating preparedness and response activities, intensifying cross-border collaboration for improved surveillance and information sharing, and rolling out an integrated campaign for Measles vaccination and Malaria control in Longechuck County and surrounding areas.”
Dr. Aciek reiterated that the South Sudanese government was appealing to its partners, including Africa CDC, to strengthen its laboratory capacity, particularly in pathogen genomic sequencing for timely detection of diseases threat.
South Sudan triple disease tragedy
The long and protracted conflict in Sudan leading to an influx of refugees & returnees in South Sudan, underdeveloped healthcare and supporting commmunication infrastructure, and the unrelenting drought due to climate change have confluence in the landlocked nation leading to another disease outbreak in as many months.
Specifically, in the case of the remote Longechuck, at the border with Ethiopia and Sudan, its difficult terrain, particularly in Pacime, poses unique challenges to managing the current health crisis.
NIDO also reports that residents face a challenging nine-hour walk to the nearest healthcare facility in Dajo.
The influx of returnees and refugees further strains the existing scarce medical resources in the area.
Additionally, communication infrastructure like phones and the Internet are unavailable in the area, leaving the only feasible means of communication as satellite phones.
Despite these hurdles, an integrated response plan is underway as Africa CDC works closely with the Ministry of Health to identify priority areas of intervention with greater impact.
Ongoing initiatives include coordinating emergency response systems at national and sub-national levels, procuring lab equipment and supplies, and boosting laboratory capabilities for efficient sample handling.
At a national level, the Ministry of Health and Africa CDC’s technical team sought to explore the possibility of institutionalizing sequencing capacities in the Republic of South Sudan.
In these difficult circumstances, the coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Health, Africa CDC, and partners aim to alleviate the current emergency and strengthen healthcare systems to manage future disease outbreaks better.
For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.
