There Must Be Something in the Water! Hepatitis E in South Sudan

Abbie Seay

There must be something in the water in South Sudan! Whether it’s caused by wastewater or improper tools for handwashing, Hepatitis E rates have increase since 2018, and an outbreak in Twic County in February of this year has highlighted the need for water, health, and sanitation (WASH) infrastructure improvement in this area and all-over South Sudan. (1)

A positive test from a 3-year-old girl, as well as two other having symptoms sparked the South Sudan government to declare an outbreak. This is important, as Hepatitis E is a liver disease that infects 20 million people and causes 57,000 deaths annually around the world. It is transmitted by water contaminated by fecal matter and is worsened by lack of WASH resources. (1) Hepatitis E can cause jaundice, nausea, and in some cases acute liver failure. (2)

Both water contamination and climate change play a role in the spread of Hepatitis E in Twic County as well as South Sudan as a whole. Climate change has been linked to increased rainfall, flooding, and higher temperatures. (3) Water used for drinking, bathing, or food preparation can be contaminated during floods, mixing with wastewater. Lack of working latrines can lead to open defecation, and limited handwashing tools can increase transmission of fecal-oral transmission.

 Source: https://www.cbmus.org/news/news/news-2023/extreme-weather-impairing-fight-against-trachoma-in-south-sudan/

The Hepatitis E outbreak in Twic County highlights a larger problem as well. South Sudan faces internal and economic struggles, and most likely can not solve this health crisis on its own. A global call to action is needed to increase funding for research and to reconstruct WASH infrastructure in South Sudan. Moreover, it highlights a lack of global public health security and can often make you wonder, how access to clean water still a problem globally? How do some countries seem to slip through the cracks? It is important that we consider these unfortunate circumstances as we think about global health and consider ways for improvement.

Sources

1. Adigun, O. (n.d.). Hepatitis E Outbreak Declared in Warrap State, South Sudan, Following Toddler’s Positive Test. Bnnbreaking.com. https://bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/health/hepatitis-e-outbreak-declared-in-warrap-state-south-sudan-following-toddlers-positive-test
2. WHO. (2019, July 8). Hepatitis E. Who.int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-e
3. UNICEF. (n.d.). Climate change and flooding. Www.unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/what-we-do/climate-change-and-flooding

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