South Sudanese health officials have announced an outbreak of conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye, primarily affecting areas along the border with Uganda.

Minister of Health, Yolanda Awel Deng, stated that the outbreak was first identified among travellers coming from Uganda, which has reported similar cases.

The Ministry of Health has ramped up surveillance efforts at Nimule, a key border town, to screen incoming travellers, identify and manage suspected cases, and ascertain the causative agent of the outbreak. Deng revealed that as of April, there have been 382 suspected cases of conjunctivitis.

These include 297 detected at the Nimule entry point and 85 at the local hospital, with additional reports from Juba, the national capital.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva and can be triggered by bacteria, viruses, allergies, or chemical exposure. Symptoms include redness, increased tear production, a thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, itching, blurred vision, and light sensitivity. The disease is highly contagious, spreading through direct contact, shared personal items, or communal use of eye-related products.

Minister Deng emphasized that the viral form of conjunctivitis is particularly contagious during the initial 10 to 12 days of infection, but symptoms can persist for up to three weeks.

In response to the outbreak, the Health Ministry has initiated comprehensive measures aimed at containing the spread. These include enhancing personal and community hygiene, boosting water and sanitation efforts, improving disease surveillance, and increasing public awareness about prevention techniques.

Healthcare workers in the region are also receiving special training on how to effectively identify and respond to cases of conjunctivitis to better manage this outbreak.