South Sudan > Activities by Sectors
The Need for Health Services
Treating a cholera patient
Years of conflict have left very few functioning social services in South Sudan. Only 30 to 40 percent of the population live within a day’s walk of a basic health facility. Malnutrition rates are above emergency levels in seven of the 10 states of South Sudan (2010).
This high malnutrition rate is exacerbated through the onset of flooding, which has a devastating impact on food security. Furthermore, South Sudan has a maternal mortality rate of 2,037 per 100,000, which is four times higher than in Sudan to the north.
The common diseases encountered in South Sudan are malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia, with malnutrition being a contributing factor for many deaths. High mortality rates are acute for children under five (1 in 5) and pregnant women (1 in 9).
Vaccination and antenatal care coverage rates are the lowest in the world. Outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, meningitis, and tetanus are not uncommon, resulting in many otherwise preventable deaths. The tropical disease kala-azar has been a deadly killer in recent years. There is still insufficient capacity among the community and supporting NGOs to respond to all of these incidences of disease.
Medair’s Health Services Activities
Emergency Relief
Medair’s Health Emergency Response Team (ERT) has the capacity to react quickly to unmet emergency health needs in the whole of South Sudan. This team has been operational since 2001 and is involved in rapid needs assessments of displaced persons; building local capacity; nutritional emergencies; and outbreak responses to diseases like kala-azar, yellow fever, meningitis, and cholera. To ensure the highest possible efficiency in responding to emergencies, Medair coordinates with the U.N. Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R) unit (where Medair has seconded staff), local authorities, and partner NGOs.
Rehabilitation
Medair supports a Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) in Melut Town and six Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs) in Melut County of Upper Nile State. In addition, we are supporting two PHCCs and two PHCUs in Manyo County, also in Upper Nile State.
These Medair-supported clinics provide improved health care access to the local population—those who previously had very few viable options for primary health care. Each clinic is run according to specifications in the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS), a framework from the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) Ministry of Health (MoH) for primary health service implementation.
A PHCU covers a population of approximately 15,000 people and provides basic preventative and curative services including antenatal care, health education, free consultation and treatment, moderate malnutrition care for outpatients, and referral to the PHCC for severe cases. Patients receive free drugs, mosquito nets, and vaccinations.
A PHCC covers a population of 50,000 people, and is able to deal with more complicated cases, as it is staffed by more qualified health professionals. It provides basic antenatal and emergency obstetric care, health education, vaccinations, mosquito nets, consultations and treatment for both inpatients and outpatients, treatment for malnutrition, minor surgery, and laboratory tests.
Health and Hygiene Promoters are volunteers who aim to increase family and community awareness and practice of positive health and hygiene behaviours. Promotion of healthy behaviours like hand-washing and full courses of vaccinations are linked to PHCC/U activities, as well as being targeted in schools and through campaigns in the wider communities.
Medair is also committed to training new health staff and to further improving the skills of current health staff for correct diagnosis and management of clinical conditions. Village Development Committees are being trained to act as a local liaison between the community and MoH structures, and to highlight health issues within their community.
The Need for Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH)
All of the affected areas of South Sudan have a very low level of access to safe drinking water and poor sanitation facilities. Even in areas where water and sanitation facilities are available, cultural beliefs and practices discourage some people from using them.
Medair’s WASH Activities
Emergency Relief
The Medair WASH team provides rapid responses to emergency situations where water is scarce or where water has become contaminated and can cause diseases. For instance, we rehabilitate boreholes and extend water supply systems that support displaced communities and improve their access to clean water. Safe sanitation and hygiene education are conducted during emergency interventions.
Rehabilitation
Medair’s aim is to provide safe water sources and thus reduce waterborne diseases. Medair also improves access to proper sanitation and hygiene promotion. The WASH team focuses on increasing the number of skilled local residents who can maintain new and existing water points, construct sanitary latrines, and educate the community on good sanitary practice and hygiene awareness. Medair’s goal for the community and government is to take ownership of rehabilitated safe water sources, ensuring the sustainability of the implemented projects.
The Need for Shelter & Infrastructure
Ongoing insecurity has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, while independence has led hundreds of thousands of people to return to South Sudan, after years of living in Sudan in the north. Such a high number of returnees and displaced people has created huge needs for basic household items, especially where host communities are unable to cater to the needs of those displaced.
Medair's Shelter & Infrastructure Activities
Emergency Relief
Medair assists vulnerable populations with meeting their minimum shelter, hygiene, and food preparation needs. Non-food item (NFI) kits are given to many returnees and their host communities, providing them with basic household items such as blankets, tarpaulins, cooking pots, buckets, and mosquito nets.
Medair also coordinates the Upper Nile state activities for the NFI cluster (NGOs providing NFIs). We have been recognised by UNJLC (UN Joint Logistics Corps) for reducing the response time through our effective coordination.
Rehabilitation
Medair helps to rehabilitate health care facilities in order to provide the best possible health care for residents.
[1]ANLA 2010-2011: reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/00706BB25352C9DCC125783B004DE507-Full_Report.pdf
[2]‘Southern Sudan Household Survey’, MOH-GOSS/SSCCSE, October 2007 ghiqc.usaid.gov/tasc3/docs/650-09-313/annex_k.pdf
[3] ‘Southern Sudan Household Survey’, MOH-GOSS/SSCCSE, October 2007 ghiqc.usaid.gov/tasc3/docs/650-09-313/annex_k.pdf
