A medical officer at Al-Saba Children Hospital in Juba Dr. Monica Ijidio has urged the
government of South Sudan to introduce rotavirus vaccine to help reduce cases of
acute watery diarrhea in children.
Diarrhoea in children is cause by rotavirus therefore, Dr. Monica Ijidio believes by
immunizing children against rotavirus, cases of acute watery diarrhoea will reduce in
children under five years.
“The immunization schedule for South Sudan, we don’t have a vaccine for rotavirus,
now we advocate as the government or health sector or the ministry of health to add the
rotavirus vaccine. As we see this one if we add it will reduce the level and the
percentage of diarrhoea especially for under five years because we know the vaccine,
we have it is protecting the children for five years, if we add this rotavirus vaccine, it will
help us reduce the prevalent of diarrhea and acute watery diarrhea in the hospital”
The medicial officer Monica also attributes cause of diarrhoea to unsafe drinking water therefore calling
upon the government and its partners to provide clean drinking water to the citizens by
connecting water tap to supply clean water to the community.
Monica however asks breastfeeding mothers to practice the exclusive breastfeeding for
six months to build strong immune system against diarrhoea in children.
“Access to safe drinking water, as we see in Juba, we are having a problem for drinking.
The government of South Sudan to provide clean water for the civilian and the
community, that is why we are advocating if there is a way of making a tap all over
South Sudan for getting access to safe water and the second thing is improve
sanitation, we must to have any home to have a toilet. Exclusive breastfeeding for the
first six months of life, by these six months a child can gain already the immunity that
can protect him”
Doctor Monica calls on mothers to report any cases of diarrhoea to nearby health facilities
to rescue lives of young children.
“Mothers in South Sudan, when your child has diarrhoea do not wait for the father to
come from where he traveled to and you come to the hospital, the diarrhoea will not
wait, Al-Saba Hospital works for twenty four hours, if you do not want to come to the
government hospital, go the private hospital to give you the treatment and if they cannot
manage they will refer you to Al-Saba, if there is water give to the child that will help,
when the child vomit give water to help but if you do not give water and you come from
far, by the time you reach the hospital it will be difficult to help the child because the
child loss to much water”
The medical officer made the remarks to Radio Bakhita in an exclusive interview on
child healthcare