The WHO Country Representative Dr Abdi Aden Mohamed, the Minister of Health, Dr Riek Gai Kok together with a team from WHO and central Ministry of Health on Thursday 03 July 2014, visited State capital Torit in Eastern Equatoria State to assess the cholera situation in the state.

Speaking to health cluster partners, Dr Abdi urged them to focus more on preventive messages that will support disrupt the spread of cholera in the community. “We need to focus all our efforts on health promotion and advocacy to ensure that positive messages are passed on to the community, as this is the only effective way that we can interrupt the Cholera infection at the community level”, said Dr Abdi.

The Minister of Health, Dr Reik Gai Kok, called on all partners to strengthen community initiatives and involvement in the response by training Boma and Payam mobilisers in order to strengthen community mobilization and surveillance. “We need to train two community mobilizers per Boma and Payam, who will engage with the community at the lowest levels, in total we will need to train 800 community mobilizers at the Boma level and 148 at the Payam level”, said Dr Riek. He added that these will go a long way in linking partners and the community during the ongoing cholera response and beyond.

Dr Ito Margaret, the State Minister of Health, Eastern Equatoria State, briefed Dr Abdi, Dr Riek and their teams on the cholera situation in the State. She cited some challenges in the response like; shortage of personal protective gear, weaker referral system due to shortage of ambulance especially at Torit CTC and inadequate funds to support the surveillance team. Other challenges mentioned are; Lack of cooperation from some community leaders to support the response, limited IEC materials for health education, inadequate financial and human resources to facilitate social mobilization and WASH interventions and weak coordination.

Dr Abdi pledged that the WHO will further enhance to support the State Ministry of Health with Personal Protective Wears, trainings of surveillance teams and technical support in all areas of the response in close coordination with the Health Cluster, MoH and the state Ministry of Eastern Equatoria State.

On 14 June, 2014, the first cases of cholera were detected in Torit, since then cases have been rising and spreading to other parts of the states reaching 637 cases as of 03 July 2014. This pre-empted the WHO Country Representative, the Minister of Health and staff from WHO and Ministry of Health to visit Eastern Equatoria State, assess the situation and together with the state, map a way to help interrupt the transmission.

During the visit, Dr Abdi, Dr Riek, WHO and Ministry of Health team visited MSF-F cholera treatment centre in Torit, town council, Torit hospital and Torit Technical school and health Resource Centre.

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1. The Minister of Health Dr Riek Gai Kok, Dr Ito Margaret, State Minister of Health and Dr Abdi Aden Mohamed, WHO country Representative inside the cholera treatment centre managed by MSF

2. Dr Abdi Mohammed, WHO Country Representative speaking to the State Minister of Health, Dr Ito Margaret at Torit Cholera Treatment Centre, looking on are WHO staff

Photo credits: WHO/P. Ajello