Officials in the Unity State health ministry have confirmed 12 cases and 3 deaths as a result of Hepatitis E out of 1,246 reported suspected cases in the Bentiu Protection of Civilian site (POC) and Rubkona County of Unity State.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, the acting state minister of health Stephen Tot, said there has been an increase in Hepatitis E cases since August in Bentiu POC and Rubkona County.

"Yes, actually we have an outbreak of Hepatitis E, mostly in the internally displaced camps in Bentiu and Rubkona County. The hepatitis E outbreak outside here are very few but in IDP camps it is very high,” Tot said. “We are working hard with humanitarian health partners to carry out the vaccination for Hepatitis E and the vaccination will be carried out very soon.”

He attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene, sharing sanitation facilities, flooding, and drinking contaminated water. 

"This is caused by poor hygiene in the IDP camps and the rainy season. Poor hygiene, crowding, and congestion is what is increasing the Hepatitis E infection rate in Unity State,” Tot said. “My message to the entire population of Unity State as well as IDPs in the camp is to at least avoid sharing latrines, avoid crowding and also practice good hygiene and another message is to inform the entire population of Unity State that there is an outbreak of Hepatitis E and all people should know and take care of themselves.”

He urges the humanitarian health partners to come to the aid of the affected people. 

The chairperson of the Bentiu POC, Bigoah Kuong, confirmed the hepatitis E outbreak, “There is a high rate of Hepatitis E and B infection especially among the youths and it is killing about 10 to 15 people in the camp every week.” 

He said the cause of the Hepatitis E outbreak is due to lack of hygiene promotion and awareness-raising because the vast majority living in the POC camp are illiterate and they don't know of the disease and how it can be prevented.

"I am not the right person to tell you the rate of infection of Hepatitis E because there is a ministry of health. But what I know is that many people within the IDP camp are dying. Around 10 to 15 people die per week in the highly populated camp,” Kuong said. 

He said, since the IDP camp management was transferred from humanitarian partners to the government in Unity State, the humanitarian organizations' intervention has been reduced and the promotion of good hygiene practices is poor because the people in the IDPs camp are illiterate.