Southern Sudan: Contingency planning to meet the challenges of the upcoming referendum
The situation is relatively stable despite the imminence of the referendum. WHO, the Ministry of Health/ Government of Southern Sudan (MoH/GoSS) and health partners are observing the situation for possible health events – whether disease outbreaks or trauma events.
Upsurge of kala-azar cases in Southern Sudan requires rapid response
8 October 2010 ¦ Juba, Sudan -- Recurrent outbreaks of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease also known as kala-azar, have been reported in Southern Sudan, with 6363 cases and 303 deaths (case fatality rate of 4.7%) recorded since outbreaks began in September 2009. The number of cases is more than six times higher than the same period starting in 2007 (when 758 cases were recorded) and 2008 (582 cases). Most affected patients (70%) are children aged under 15 years who already suffer from concurrent malnutrition and other secondary illnesses.
