Deadly Outbreak In Elegu: 11 Feared Dead As Cholera Ravages Amuru Towns

By Our Reporter

Residents of Amuru District are gripped by fear following a cholera outbreak that has reportedly claimed 11 lives out of 143 cases, according to local sources. However, multiple media outlets have confirmed four deaths, with over 90 individuals treated and discharged at Bibia Health Centre III as of late July 2025.

District surveillance data as of July 27 indicated approximately 228 suspected cases, with 27 laboratory-confirmed infections. The crisis has been further exacerbated by a shortage of medical personnel, limited access to essential medicines, and stalled construction of key health infrastructure in the affected Elegu Town Council.

Kilak North MP Anthony Akol raised the alarm during the Prime Minister’s Question Time on July 31, 2025, highlighting the outbreak’s onset in Elegu Town Council on July 2. Despite the severity, efforts to curb its spread have been inadequate.

“I visited Elegu on July 29. The medical team is overwhelmed, understaffed, and lacks supplies. There’s no operational health facility,” Akol said, criticizing the stalled construction of a Health Centre III in Elegu, begun in 2020 but still non-functional.

Akol urged Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng to provide an update on the outbreak and called for urgent testing of water sources. “People are suffering. We need to know if contamination comes from piped water or elsewhere, and why the health centre remains incomplete after five years,” he said.

Dr. Aceng acknowledged the crisis, noting that a Ministry of Health team is assessing and addressing the situation. She stressed cholera’s multisectoral nature, requiring collaboration across ministries and communities. “Cholera is sanitation-related. The Ministry of Water and Environment is testing water sources in Elegu, while we’ve dispatched medical supplies to contain the outbreak,” she said.

Reassuring Parliament, Aceng added, “This is not a new outbreak. We’ve managed cholera before and will control this one. There’s no need for panic.” However, she requested time to investigate the delayed Health Centre III construction and urged local leaders to promote hygiene awareness.“Cholera spreads through the oral-faecal route. Handwashing is critical. Leaders must educate communities,” Aceng emphasized.

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among reinforced the call for vigilance, urging residents to boil drinking water and maintain sanitation. “Leaders must educate communities, but the government must act swiftly to save lives,” she said.

Cholera, an acute diarrheal infection caused by contaminated food or water, triggers sudden diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. The World Health Organization emphasizes that immediate rehydration is vital for survival. Residents experiencing symptoms are urged to seek medical attention at the nearest health facility without delay.