Five children aged between five and six years old have died days apart from what is believed to be an outbreak of fever in the remote Kira Local Level Government in the Northern Province.
The only Aid Post in the area is closed due to funding constraints and non-availability of community health workers since 2017.
This was revealed by a local missionary on the ground Arthur Sumugau.
“The fever symptoms started late last year after we had a combined crusade with people from Wau Waria,” Sumugau said.
The symptoms affecting the children are from dry cough, causing head ache and eventually vomiting and red sore eyes.
This has resulted in rapid weight loss in the children, causing some to succumb to death.
“Children are dying, we lost a child last Friday and another aged five died the next day,” Sumugau said.
He said on Monday, 16th January, another child aged six died due to these fever symptoms. Two more children have died on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
Mr Sumugau said “Government services are little to none from wards one to four in Kira Local Level Government. We are under the Sohe Electorate in the Northern Province”.
There is no road link and the only access to Kira is by air.
A worried Mr Sumugau is calling for urgent medical assistance by this weekend or more lives will be lost as the fever is rapidly spreading throughout Kira and to nearby Waria Garaina valley which is situated in the neighbouring Morobe Province.
It is understood that, Community Health Workers from Popondetta General Hospital are awaiting funds for medical supplies to be airlifted to Kira.
