South Sudan News

When COVID-19 was declared in South Sudan, protecting healthcare workers became a priority of the government, the UN and other partners.

To minimize their exposure to COVID-19, when caring for patients with communicable infections, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital to interrupt the transmission in addition to hand hygiene.

PPE is the first line of protection for health care personnel.

Juba, 22 December 2020 – to prevent the risk of a cholera outbreak following the devastating floods that displaced communities and led to contamination of water sources in Bor South county, the Ministry of Health with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners vaccinated over 63 280 individuals aged one year and above against cholera.

Juba, 22 December 2020 – In line with Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy to prevent international spread of yellow fever, the World Health Organization (WHO) donated 2 000 doses of yellow fever vaccine to South Sudan’s Ministry of Health to provide protection against the yellow fever virus for international travellers and those living in areas where the disease is present.

Arok Juong Lueth, a 32-year-old mother of three, a resident of Malueth in Rumbek Centre, Lakes State at the crack of dawn woke up filled with a renewed sense of hope, quickly left her children and house unattended to join a group of women who had offered to help carry Polio vaccines on their heads over a distance of about 30 kilometers to their village to ensure that their children receive polio vaccine.

Juba, 10 December 2020 – South Sudan launched its National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) 2020-2024. The plan was launched by Hon. Dr Martin Elia Lomoro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

The NAPHS was developed based on the Joint External Evaluation conducted in 2017 to strengthen core capacities in the country as required under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.

Juba, South Sudan - The Korean Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korean Embassy donated COVID19 laboratory testing and extraction kits to the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to boost the country’s testing capacity to combat and control COVID-19.

The donation to South Sudan was made in November 2020, through the Korean Embassy in cooperation with WHO.

Juba, 24 November 2020 – Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the second phase of the measles follow up campaign commenced on 15 November 2020 to vaccinate over 690 000 children aged 6 – 59 months against measles to ensure the continuation of immunization activities.

The campaign is organized and led by the Ministry of Health with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, UNICEF and other partners, are part of the efforts to ensure immunization stays in the forefront of primary health care to protect children and future generations.  

To increase diagnostic capacity in response to COVID-19 pandemic, WHO with funding from the European Union (EU), donated laboratory supplies to South Sudan’s National Public Health Laboratory.

The supplies included materials and reagents that support real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the gold standard test platform for COVID-19 viral detection. The supplies are sufficient to support testing for over 500 COVID-19 samples per day for the next two months.  

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN 13 NOVEMBER 2020 – A campaign aiming at vaccinating 1.5 million children against polio was launched in South Sudan. Currently 15 cases of vaccine-derived poliomyelitis are confirmed in seven counties across five states, namely Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes and Eastern Equatoria. The reported cases are children under five years of age who now have irreversible paralysis.

Lucia Ngacho, a 32-year-old mother of 3 children, walked to the WHO emergency medical mobile clinic in Pibor town, the regional capital of Pibor Administrative Area with her 2-year-old girl Mama Arzen.

“I never thought my daughter would be alive”, Lucia confesses adding that she appreciates the support that she received from the dedicated WHO mobile medical team.