Cholera prevention in Torit, South Sudan

"It started with watery diarrhoea and severe stomach pain," says Esther*, a mother of six. "The pain kept getting worse, the diarrhoea would not stop." Within hours her condition deteriorated dramatically – without treatment she would have died.

Esther walked the long way to the cholera treatment centre in Torit, capital of Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan. "I had to keep stopping – I only moved slowly, step by step." She finally reached the centre run by Medair and recovered quickly. "I was very ill, and had been for a day or two. Then I came here, and people helped me straight away."

Esther survived. But what would have happened if equipment and staff had not reached the centre in time? What if medicines had been delayed by days or weeks because deliveries were stuck on precarious roads or held up by attacks? For Esther and many others it would have been too late.

Help from the air

This is exactly where MAF's work comes in: together with its partner Medair, the organisation made cholera prevention, vaccination and treatment possible in Torit. MAF operated more than a dozen flights and transported staff as well as critical cargo – including gloves, cannulas and water and sanitation supplies – directly into the outbreak area. Lea, a Medair staff member, reported that the number of cholera cases had fallen sharply since the measures began.

"We repaired wells, distributed water, sanitation and hygiene supplies in eleven villages and carried out awareness work in eleven cholera hotspots. When we hear that we are flying into the field with MAF, we are delighted. Because with MAF we get everywhere."

Clean water and hygiene are key

The greatest need is for clean water and for the community to adopt proper hygiene practices to protect itself from cholera. Thanks to the prevention and awareness measures made possible by the cooperation between MAF and Medair, thousands of people in Torit and the surrounding villages stayed healthy and did not need hospital treatment.

Rose* and her family also received supplies to stop cholera spreading through contaminated water:

"I received two buckets, soap, chlorine tablets and a water filter. These things help our family a great deal and protect us from diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. It is very hard for us to get clean water. We used to drink the water straight from the source, but now our children and we have benefited greatly from these supplies."

Rose expressed her gratitude for the partnership between MAF and Medair, thanks to which remote regions receive vital help. "If MAF and Medair did not exist, many people would suffer. We thank them both for the help they give us. May God continue to help you. Thank you!"

Facts and figures

• 164,987 people in Torit were vaccinated against cholera, and 602 patients treated at the cholera treatment centre and at rehydration points
• In Torit the team repaired and chlorinated 27 wells and supplied 11,825 people (2,000 households) with WASH materials
• The WASH emergency team trained 63 hygiene promoters, who reached 26,045 people with cholera prevention messages