South Sudan News

Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) South Sudan Country Office conducted a consultative meeting with the senior management of the Ministry of Health to review the progress made in the implementation of the 2022/2023 biennium plan.

The meeting from 18 to 19 July 2023 aimed to review the progress in implementing the 2022-23 biennium plan and chart ways to achieve the pending activities. WHO plans in two-year cycles (biennium), with the current biennial plan ending on 31 December 2023.

Healthcare workers in South Sudan face immense challenges in providing healthcare services to people living in hard-to-reach areas.

Gabriel Chuang, a WHO staff, and his colleagues embarked on a grueling 20-hour walk through challenging terrain to investigate a disease outbreak in the remote village of Dajo, located in Longochuk County of Upper Nile State near the Ethiopia border.

Despite having no access to clean water or shelter, Chuong and his team endured an arduous journey through unforgiving terrain, driven by their unwavering commitment to healthcare.

Mrs Nyanaath Gatleel Luoy, a 29-year-old mother of three, and her fellow villagers have been struggling to access healthcare services due to the long distance they need to walk to reach the medical center in Leer, which is several kilometers away.

"I had to walk 10 kilometers from our village in Kai Gai to seek treatment for my children in Leer hospital when they are sick because roads are sometimes impassable," said Mrs Luoy

In an effort to protect people at risk of bilharzia in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), conducted mass drug administration in four counties.

The aim was to interrupt transmission and protect school-aged children and adults at risk of infection in moderate to high-risk areas of South Sudan.

Bilharzia is a significant public health problem in many countries, and preventive chemotherapy has been demonstrated to benefit affected communities. However, it is still not readily accessible by all.

The Ministry of Health in South Sudan, working in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), has successfully trained 128 healthcare workers from major private health facilities on the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy and reporting tools in Juba.

The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Water and Irrigation and partners, trained healthcare workers to build the country's capacity to plan, implement and conduct simulation exercises, including full-scale simulation exercise to improve preparedness and response to public health events.