Juba, 3 November 2020 – WHO and the People’s Republic of China donated a wide range of drugs to South Sudan’s Ministry of Health to support the ongoing COVID-19 response.

The drugs distributed across the country to Health Facilities designated for treating COVID-19 patients, as well as provide support for the home isolation intervention. The Ministry of Health and WHO clinical team conducting the home-based intervention will leverage on the availability of these drugs to meet the needs of symptomatic cases of COVID-19 through prescription and dispensing of medication as needed.

Pandemics and health emergencies pose risks to people because of disruptions of the health services and compromising disease management, largely due to inadequate essential medicines.

“The generous contribution from China will contribute to the critically needed emergency medical supplies and will go a long way in the care of COVID-19 patients admitted in treatment facilities as well as those under home-based isolation”, Dr Richard Laku, Incident Manager at the Ministry of Health. “This support is expected to reduce the burden of COVID-19 on other essential service delivery in the country”.

Over the last couple of weeks, WHO and the Ministry of Health trained over 350 health workers to manage COVID-19 patients across the country. Emergency medical services with adequate emergency medical supplies strengthens response during pandemic of the magnitude like COVID-19 as it enhances effective patients triaging and providing emergency treatment to suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.

“We are grateful for the support provided by the Government of China “the support provided additional assistance to the ongoing COVID-19 response in South Sudan at a time when access to medical supplies are most needed ”, said Dr Olushayo Olu, WHO representative for South Sudan.

As part of the ongoing COVID-19 response in South Sudan, the case management pillar has four main intervention activities for confirmed cases of COVID-19. These includes, home based isolation intervention which involves the provision of basic care for patients who are asymptomatic or with mild or moderate disease isolating at home, facility based intervention where severe and critical cases are treated in designated facilities.

WHO has been providing technical support to the Ministry of Health and partners including the development, adaptation and revision of guidance and standard operating procedures for effective response.

Technical contacts:

Dr David Ameh, Email amehd [at] who.int

Dr Joseph Mogga, Email: moggaj [at] who.int