By KT Reporter
Cholera cases in Elegu Town Council, Amuru District, along the Uganda–South Sudan border, have declined nearly two months after the first outbreak was reported in early July. At the height of the outbreak, health authorities at Bibia Health Center III said they were registering between 10 and 15 admissions daily of patients with severe diarrheal symptoms.
By August 29, 2025, the cumulative number of patients treated at the facility had reached 350. Eight people have since died, six at Bibia Health Center III and two at Nimule Hospital in South Sudan. Milton Stephen Okello, the in-charge of Bibia Health Center III, told URN that the situation has greatly improved in the past two weeks. “The number of patients has significantly reduced; at the moment, we have only two patients receiving medical treatment at this facility, and their symptoms are stabilizing,” Okello said. He added that while the situation is under control, health teams remain vigilant against any possible new wave of transmission.
Okello attributed the decline in infections to community vigilance, sensitization campaigns, and vaccination efforts, particularly at Nimule Hospital in South Sudan, where many Elegu residents have received the cholera vaccine. By mid-August, at least 3,200 residents had been vaccinated.
Earlier cases were traced to Lorikwor West village before spreading to Lorikwor East, areas where poor sanitation and open defecation were flagged as key drivers of the outbreak. Godfrey Acidri, a clinical officer at Elegu Port Health, noted that many residents rely on polythene bags for defecation, which are later dumped in open spaces. During rains, the waste is washed into water sources, fueling the cycle of transmission.
He also pointed out that at the onset of the outbreak, a group calling themselves the Mbale boys deliberately poured fecal waste in open spaces. Kasim Akule, the LC I Chairperson of Lorikwor West, said Elegu Town Council continues to grapple with poor garbage collection and the absence of drainage systems, which worsen hygiene conditions during floods. He called on the district to lobby the central government for resources to construct proper drainage infrastructure.
Elegu has frequently experienced floods from the River Unyama, which contaminate water sources and displace residents. The most recent floods in July submerged several latrines and buildings. Local leaders and health officials have urged residents to maintain sanitation practices despite the decline in cases, warning that complacency could spark another outbreak. According to the district surveillance department, cumulative positive cholera cases stand at 264 from rapid diagnostic tests, while 64 have been confirmed through laboratory tests at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and the Central Public Health Laboratory.
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