South Sudan confirms 41 malaria deaths

At least 41 malaria deaths have been confirmed in South Sudan's Greater Pibor Administrative Area near the Ethiopian border, a local official said Tuesday.

Oleyo Akuer, minister of Information in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, said 36 children were among the deaths in Likuangole County since Oct. 23.

"There is currently a shortage of medicine in the health unit in Likuangole County, it is the non-governmental organizations that are providing healthcare services and even they are soon running out of supplies," Akuer told Xinhua on the phone.

He disclosed that the heavy rains have cut off seasonal roads, thus making it difficult to transport the sick for treatment in the only health facility in the county.

Akuer said that about 200 malaria cases are currently admitted in Likuangole County.

In July, the government, together with UN agencies, launched the R21 malaria vaccination campaign targeting 265,897 children in the first round of immunization across 28 counties in states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Central Equatoria, Jonglei, and Eastern Equatoria.

The vaccination campaign came after the government received 645,000 doses of the R21 malaria vaccine on May 31 from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

South Sudan records an estimated 2.8 million malaria cases and 6,680 deaths annually, translating to 7,630 cases and 18 deaths daily, according to the World Health Organization.

xinhua