MSF confirms 2 deaths from Hepatitis E virus among displaced in Unity state

JUBA – The Medical Charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, has expressed concerns over the rise in Malaria and Hepatitis E virus cases among the displaced persons in Bentiu of Unity state.

The cases of Malaria, acute watery diarrhea, and Hepatitis E Viruses are on the rise in IDPs camp in Unity state, the group said.

The medical charity said the situation is critical with two deaths already registered within a month.

Federica Franco, MSF the country director revealed that there has been a significant increase in these cases of late and described the health condition of the displaced populations as worse.

“We have repeatedly warned the health risks of inadequate water and sanitation services provision in Bentiu camp,” Franco said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“A failure to address these issues, with agencies actually reducing their water and sanitation services over the past a year has now resulted in this avoidable situation.”

Franco said they are treating an average of 230 patients with Hepatitis E per month throughout the year.

“We don’t have water containers in our house and sometimes my children go to bed without showering because the one jerry can we have is not enough for showering the five of us. We just use it for drinking,” said camp resident Nyaker Deng Bol.

A lack of soap and latrines, as well as open sewers, are among the poor hygiene issues contributing to the appalling situation for over 100,000 people who live in the camp.

During survey MSF teams conducted this month, less than 27 percent of the sampled households could show a piece of soap while being interviewed in their shelters.

Additionally, only around 13 percent of people have access to handwashing points with water and soap close to the latrines.

An earlier MSF assessment in April showed that the number of functional latrines in the camp waste times below the minimum international standard for the size of the population.

“The deplorable water and sanitation situation in the Bentiu camp is not a new phenomenon but has continued to drastically deteriorate in the last two years, leaving an already vulnerable population at high risk of outbreaks, as we are currently witnessing,” said  Samreen Hussain, MSF deputy medical coordinator.

Hepatitis E virus infection can lead to acute liver failure and death, and is particularly dangerous among pregnant women.