Lakes State to treat 62,000 for elephantiasis and river blindness

AWERIAL – Health authorities in Awerial County of South Sudan’s Lakes State are set to administer preventive treatment for elephantiasis and river blindness to an estimated 62,000 people.

Elephantiasis, transmitted by mosquitoes, causes swelling in limbs and other body parts, while river blindness, spread by blackflies, can lead to vision loss.

Abraham Taban Maker, the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Coordinator for Lakes State, said on Wednesday that Awerial and Wulu counties were selected for the campaign due to the high number of cases, including three new elephantiasis cases and 50 river blindness cases recorded this year.

“In Lakes State, only two Counties Awerial and Wulu have been selected for the campaign due to the number of cases recorded by the health Department so we are reaching everyone here to take drugs to prevent the diseases the drugs are safe and the people that are not allow to takes vaccine comprised of Lactating mothers, very sick person and pregnant mothers and children below five years these are only people that are excluded in this ongoing campaign,” Maker said.

The five-day campaign will target people living along the Nile and Gel Rivers, with a focus on adults and children aged five and above.

“This campaign is very important for your life you cannot wait till you fall sick and seek medication. Take these drugs now to prevent sickness,” said Chuol Buoth, the National supervisor for Neglected Tropical Diseases.