Ministry of Health Says Ready to Confront Meningitis

JUBA – The Director General for Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Lul Riek yesterday downplayed the existence of meningitis and expressed his ministry’s preparedness to confront the disease if it broke out. He was speaking at a press conference in his ministry’s press hall.

This was in response to rumours of the outbreak of meningitis in the country.

“There have been rumours about the outbreak of meningitis and we took samples of suspected cases to Nairobi for a test and all tested negative. We are however prepared if it breaks out,” he vowed.

The director said that his ministry is taking meningitis serious and that they registered 24 suspected cases in South Sudan of which 20 are in Central Equatoria State.

At least 5 specimen of the Cerebral Spinal Fluid have been collected and sent to AMREF reference laboratory in Nairobi where it was tested for Neissaria Meningococcal Meningitis, a bacterium which causes meningitis. The results of the five is said to have been negative.

Dr. Lul said that his ministry and the state ministries are strengthening the surveillance system at all levels for detection of the disease; and preposition of drugs, vaccines and laboratory supplies.

He also said that the health ministry has prepositioned outbreak investigation kits, meningitis drugs and vaccines in all states, trained epidemic preparedness and response teams and charged them with the responsibility of promptly responding and investigating outbreaks.

He has also called on the public to remain calm and ask them to remain vigilant. He further called on the public to report suspected cases to the nearest health centre.

The disease has signs and symptoms of neck stiffness, high fever, headache, vomiting, sensitivity to light and bulging of the fontanel in infants. Meningitis is a bacteria that is transmitted through respiratory droplets. The average incubation period of the disease is 4 days but can range between 2 and 10.

Meanwhile, Dr. Abdul Nasser, a World Health Organization (WHO) focal point person expressed his organization’s readiness to strength and support the health ministry both morally and financially

“We are working closely and see how we can save lives and prevent further any outbreak of diseases,” he said.

South Sudan lies in the “meningitis belt” that stretches across Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia; this puts the population of the country at high risk of an outbreak of the disease especially during the dry season.