According to health officials of S. Sudan, a cholera outbreak has been announced in Rubkona County, Unity State. The epidemic has killed one child and infected 30 people, marking the diseases first reappearance in nearly five years.

A seven-year-old child died on March 25, while the others infected have been treated and discharged from the hospital. An  upsurge of diarrhea cases in the affected areas pave the way to the outbreak. It was the countrys first cholera case since December 2017, after a previous outbreak which began in June 2016 and killed 436 people.

Cholera is an acute form of diarrhea which is curable by proper antibiotics and fluid intake, but if not treated timely can be fatal. Bacteria causing Cholera spread mostly by poor hygiene, poor drinking water and food.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that around 1.3 million and four million cases of cholera were reported worldwide in early 2021, resulting in between 21,000 and 143,000 deaths.