South Sudan News

Juba 6 July, 2018 – South Sudan is prone to emerging and re-emerging disease outbreaks which necessitate prompt and safe management of laboratory specimens to ensure accurate and timely confirmation of the causative agent such as Ebola Virus to guide the response. 

However, the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of IHR (2005) core capacities for South Sudan conducted in 2017, revealed that capacity for biosafety and biosecurity needed strengthening and the gaps identified addressed.

Juba 2 July, 2018 – In South Sudan, it is estimated that 7.1 million people are food insecure; and it is expected that more than one million under five years to be suffering from acute malnutrition in 2018. 
 

According to the UNICEF/WHO Countdown Report 2017, among children aged 6 – 59 months, 31% are stunted, and 28% are wasted. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates vary seasonally and substantially across states; with peaks of up to 30 % in some locations. 

Juba 21 June, 2018 – South Sudan is making headway towards attainment of Universal Health Coverage and addressing the inequity amid instability in some parts of the country. This was echoed during the high-level advocacy meeting with women parliamentarians one of the events to mark the World Health Day under the theme ‘Universal Health Coverage: everyone everywhere’.

Juba, 6 June 2018 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), eHealth Africa and Novel-T has rolled out a mobile application based surveillance system called Auto- Visual AFP Detection and Reporting (AVADAR) for timely reporting and investigation of AFP cases and improve the sensitivity of AFP surveillance in South Sudan.

Juba, 25 May 2018 – Disease outbreaks and other emergencies constitute a serious threat to public health security worldwide. Delayed and incomplete indicator and event-based reporting limits health managers’ ability to initiate timely event investigation and response. This reporting delay further constrains rapid event containment thus increasing the risk of extensive international disease spread and excess morbidity and mortality.

Juba, 22 May 2018 - Following the Ebola outbreak that has been declared in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a high level mission comprised of Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Republic of South Sudan and WHO visited Yambio, former Western Equatoria State on a sensitization campaign.

The sensitization campaign against Ebola followed an earlier press conference held in Juba to enhance efforts to prevent Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the country.

Juba, 16 May 2018— In South Sudan, food insecurity continues to deteriorate to Emergency (IPC Phase 4) due to displacement, restrictions on movement and trade flows, and limited access to normal livelihoods activities.