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YEI - 22 Mar 2020

Malaria and pneumonia cases on the rise in Yei

Patients lie in their hospital beds at the Yei Civil Hospital on February 3, 2011 in Yei County. (Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images Reportage)
Patients lie in their hospital beds at the Yei Civil Hospital on February 3, 2011 in Yei County. (Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images Reportage)

Malaria and pneumonia infection cases are on the rise among children and adults in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State, a senior medical officer said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, the Medical Director of Yei Civil Hospital, Dr. Joseph Malish said at least 80 percent of the patients diagnosed were found with either malaria or pneumonia.

He attributed the increase to the misuse of mosquito nets, delay in seeking treatment and the rainy season.

 “Malaria has the leading infection rate among patients, followed by pneumonia in our medical records among children and even adults more especially during this rainy season,” Malish explained.

The medical officer urged the public to regularly visit health facilities for better services instead of relying on witchdoctors for medication.

“My message is that there is no place better than a hospital. People should come to healthcare centers and access medical services. We should take personal hygiene seriously, keep our environment clean and sleep under mosquito nets,” he stressed.

Malish cautioned the public to take preventative measures against the deadly coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

“The good thing is that we don’t have any coronavirus case in South Sudan. So, we are advising the public to take personal health measures by washing hands, self-isolation to protect themselves and their families,” he said. 

South Sudan has no confirmed case of the new coronavirus but neighboring Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo and Kenya, have all reported confirmed COVID-19 cases.