The peak of this outbreak was between February 20 and 24, as patients and their families rushed to the Kosti hospital in a state of panic. The influx of cases, most of them severely dehydrated, led to patients overflowing and having to be treated on the floor as the hospital and the cholera treatment centre (CTC) ran out of space.
To get the situation under control, the White Nile State Ministry of Health coordinated the outbreak response at community level through providing access to clean water to the community, banning of donkey carts, and raising awareness through health promotion. Moreover, it managed a cholera vaccination campaign during the week of the outbreak.
MSF’s team worked hand in hand with the Ministry of Health staff from Kosti Teaching Hospital and additional medical staff from Rabak hospital on case management, supporting with on-the-job training and supervision as well as providing incentives to the staff.
Additionally, MSF mobilised logistics support from Port Sudan, Kassala and Kosti, providing 14 metric tonnes of medical items such as medicines and treatment kits, as well as over 25 tonnes of logistical items such as beds and tents to Kosti to assist the response and enlarge the size of the CTC. Moreover, the team provided the CTC with clean water supply and storage as well as chlorination and infection control.