South Sudan News

As coronavirus disease (COVID-19)  spreads rapidly across Africa, the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners have taken the necessary steps to mitigate the risk and interrupt the transmission of COVID-19.  

South Sudan confirmed its first COVID-19 case on 5 April 2020. As of 10 April 2020, four cases of COVID-19 have been reported. The country continues to face a huge burden of communicable disease outbreaks. 

Juba, 05 April 2020 - The Ministry of Health of South Sudan has reported the country’s first case of COVID-19. The patient, a 29-year old female returned from Netherlands on 28 February 2020 via Addis Ababa.  

The patient developed fever, cough, headache and shortness of breath and was identified by the authorities on 2 April 2020 that subsequently led to confirmation on 4 April 2020 by the National Public Health Laboratory in Juba.  

She has no history of underlying or pre-existing illness. She is in isolation and is in good health. 

Juba, 4 February 2020 – With the aim of vaccinating 2.5 million children against measles, a nationwide vaccination campaign is kicked off today. The campaign is a cooperation between the Ministry of Health, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and other partners.  In addition to the vaccine, the children will also receive vitamin A supplement and deworming tablets.

Juba, 31 January 2020 – In an effort to strengthen port health services, South Sudan has set up thermal scanner at Juba International Airport to enhance capacities of detecting potential public health emergencies of international concern in compliance to the regional and international health standards.  

Under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), Member States are required to establish and maintain emergency response capacities at designated airports and ground crossings to preserve public health security.

Juba, 23 January 2020 – A delegation of the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for poliomyelitis eradication starts a two-week visit to South Sudan to verify the accuracy and extensiveness of the complete national documentation for polio-free status prepared by the Republic of South Sudan.

During the visit, the ARCC delegation will thoroughly review the complete national documentation prepared by South Sudan.

“The recent flooding has made access to healthcare difficult from our village to Mankien town as we have been cut off because of the devastating floods”, said Mrs Angelina Nyapiny Ter, a 68-year-old woman from Pibor village.

“Thanks to the World Health Organization, the mobile medical service in Mayom County has given us a breath as the service has been brought to our village hence we do not have to walk 3-5 kilometers to access health services”.

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) reviews the integrated diseases surveillance and response.

In a two-day consultative meeting from 25 - 26 November 2019 in Juba, stakeholders reviewed the performance of the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) program.

“I was called to help a pregnant woman in the IDP camp”, says Dr Tony Tombe, a doctor with the WHO mobile medical team.  “When I reached the camp, a woman was heavily pregnant and visibly in pain and labour.  There was no other skilled person around to attend to her delivery. I rushed her to the nearby Zamoi primary health care unit where we proceeded to safely deliver the baby girl.

Zamoi primary health care unit had been nonfunctional for a long time, upon our arrival with medicines we were able to re-open the facility where she received life-saving care.

Juba, 15 November 2019 – To mitigate the risk of cholera outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and MedAir are immunizing 144 033 people against cholera in Renk, a county bordering Blue Nile state in Sudan.

Juba, 1 November 2019: “Timely risk communication and community engagement results in preventing the spread of diseases and better management of hazards at household and community level,” said Dr Atem Nathan, the Director General for Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health.

Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) are critical to health emergency preparedness and response as key strategies for International Health Regulations (2005) and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework.