Death toll from cholera outbreak in South Sudan rises to 31

At least 31 people have been killed since January from cholera outbreak in South Sudan representing a case fatality rate of of 1.44 per cent, the UN children's fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

UNICEF said in its latest report that a total of 2,143 cholera cases have been reported during the same period.

"The case fatality rate, currently at 1.44 per cent, remains substantially lower than last year, reflecting significant improvements in case management and timely referral," UNICEF said.

The current outbreak has been attributed to use of untreated water from the River Nile and water tankers, lack of household chlorina­tion of drinking water, eating food from roadside food vendors or makeshift markets and open defecation/poor latrine use.

In Juba, cases spread rapidly following the eruption of fighting in July and access to clean water and safe food has become increasingly difficult as a result of rising costs due to continued devaluation of the South Sudanese Pound.

According to UNICEF, there has been an upsurge in the number of cholera cases reported in Mingkaman, though no new deaths have been reported.

UNICEF continues to support the cholera response in all affected states. Malnutrition remains a key concern, in particular in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, where the nutrition situation is now catastrophic. Endit