South Sudan News

18 January 2017, Juba, South Sudan – WHO South Sudan in partnership with the MoH, UNICEF and other partners including state directors general for health and Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) officers of all states, gathered from 17 to 21 January 2017 at Juba Grand Hotel to plan on how to reach 2.3 million persons with measles vaccines in the face of a difficult operating environment.

20 January 2017, Juba, South Sudan – Public health laboratories are a critical component of communicable disease detection, prevention, and control. However, access to reliable laboratory testing remains limited in in sub-Saharan African countries including South Sudan.

For efficient and improved quality of laboratory service delivery, WHO South Sudan supported the Ministry of Health to harmonize and strengthen the capacity of the laboratory personnel on basic and advanced laboratory diagnostic techniques from 16 to 20 January 2017.

03 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – The deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, along with disruption of health services, increased population displacement, overcrowding and poor environmental conditions, led to more frequent disease outbreaks.

09 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – In South Sudan, polio eradication continues to be a national priority with renewed commitment at all levels to sustain the interruption of the wild polio virus within the country.

09 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – WHO in partnership with Ministry of Health are strengthening capacity to provide comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services to populations of humanitarian concern in the Greater Upper Nile region, that is heavily affected by the current crisis. Health workers including medical doctors/ clinical officers, nurses, counselors, pharmacist and data clerk are equipped with the necessary skills and supplies on HIV treatment and prevention. 

10 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – It is with sadness that WHO received the shocking news of one more of its employees Mr Louise Mokiri Avito, in Torit, former Eastern Equatoria State. This brings to three the number of WHO employees killed in less than one year as a result of the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

14 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan - Despite the ongoing complex humanitarian crises in South Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and partners are responding to the latest cholera outbreak in the former Jonglei and Lakes States. The outbreak of cholera was first detected in June 2016 and since then 5 006 cholera cases and 99 deaths (CFR 1.98%) have been reported from 12 Counties in nine states countrywide.

February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – The world Health Organization (WHO) with support from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) have delivered essential medicines and supplies to the communities affected by the cholera outbreak in the Islands of Jonglei and Greater Lakes.

23 February 2017, Juba, South Sudan – In an effort to rapidly contain the resurgence of cholera in South Sudan, WHO has secured oral cholera vaccine to vaccinate the communities in Leer Town and other areas. The 20 February integrated food security phase classification (IPC) identified Leer and Mayendit. With Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates that exceed 30% in the two locations. Co-morbidity with cholera will result in rapid spread and high fatality rates.   

03 March 2017, Juba, South Sudan – Despite multiple humanitarian crises, including famine, the first round of the National Immunization Days of 2017 is underway throughout South Sudan aiming to reach over three million children under 5 with two drops of polio vaccine.