JUBA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has managed to reduce cholera cases and prevent around 94,000 deaths since the confirmation of the outbreak in September 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
In a statement issued Monday, the WHO said joint efforts involving the health ministry and partners, including government agencies, have reduced new cholera cases from an average of 1,000 at the peak of the outbreak in December 2024 to 114 in the last week of September 2025.
WHO Representative in South Sudan Humphrey Karamagi said the country's experience highlights the importance of sustained investment in preparedness, early detection and rapid response to infectious disease threats.
South Sudan's Ministry of Health activated a multisectoral response within 24 hours of outbreak confirmation, with the number of affected counties down to 12 from 55. The outbreak is now restricted to 29 out of 517 administrative divisions, according to the statement.
The WHO noted that this is South Sudan's largest and longest cholera outbreak since its independence in 2011.
The outbreak began in Renk, a border town receiving large numbers of returnees and refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Sudan, where cholera transmission was already ongoing. Population movements contributed to the rapid spread of the disease. ■
