Tragedy Strikes Ngemi Village
Ngemi village in Aweil Centre is mourning Amou Mabior, a young mother who died last week after a snake bit her while she breast-fed her three-week-old baby.
Health workers say the fatality highlights a broader spike in envenomations reported across Northern Bahr el Ghazal since heavy rains began.
Rapid Radio Appeal Mobilises Aid
Luka Lual Aleu Jok, the state Health Education Focal Point, immediately went on local stations such as Akol Yam FM, urging officials to assist the bereaved family.
Within hours, Governor Simon Ober Mawut donated two million South Sudanese pounds, later adding 500,000, according to the father, Aguer Aguer Amet.
Family Struggles After Loss
Amet now shoulders the care of the newborn and two older children, a task he calls daunting amid unpredictable income and recurring floods.
Health educator Lual advises that part of the cash be reserved for infant formula and clinic visits, stressing, in his words, ‘the first months are critical’.
Public Health Officials Sound Alarm
State epidemiologists report an uptick in snake encounters, with at least two deaths recorded in separate counties last week alone.
Experts link the rise to flooded burrows that push reptiles toward human settlements, a pattern observed across the Sahel belt.
Preventive Measures During Rainy Season
Authorities urge residents to clear grass around huts, use torches at night and avoid sleeping on floors, measures they say reduced bites during previous seasons.
Disaster management units are also distributing radio messages in Dinka and Arabic to widen reach, especially in remote cattle camps.
Local doctors emphasize that timely hospital care and availability of antivenom remain essential, but logistical hurdles persist in rural counties.