Oral Cholera Vaccination campaign to combat cholera in South Sudan concludes despite security and access challenges

Jacqueline Maina, WHO Emergency Mobile Medical Team coordinator, administering Oral Cholera Vaccine in Kapoeta town. Credit WHO South Sudan
The first round of an Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign in four priority counties of South Sudan with active transmission of cholera, has successfully concluded despite security and access challenges in some areas. The vaccination campaign started on the 29 July, 2017 to 4 August, 2017 in the Kapoeta state including Kapoeta South, Kapoeta North, and Kapoeta East while in Tonj East the campaign started on 5 August, 2017 and ended on 12 August, 2017.

WHO supports a Multi-sectorial call for ‘Non-Communicable Diseases Action’ in South Sudan

Dr Riek Gai Kok Hon Minister of Health addressing the participants

31 July 2017, Juba South Sudan - The World Health Organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Health recently convened the first high level multi-sectorial Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) meeting for South Sudan attended by about 65 senior representatives from line government ministries, Civil Society, Non-governmental Organizations, academia, UN organizations and the private sector. An urgent ’Call for Action on NCDs Prevention and Control’ was endorsed in Juba, South Sudan by those representatives attending this meeting.

WHO in collaboration with partners strengthens Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to protect children from vaccine preventable diseases in South Sudan

Melisachew Adane WHO Consultant making a presentation
Despite the ongoing crisis in the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to support the Ministry of Health of South Sudan and implementing partners to deliver immunization services and conduct disease surveillance activities across the country. Routine immunization and disease surveillance are key health interventions highly affected by the ever changing country context as they demand more logistics and human resource.

South Sudan marks World Hepatitis Day 2017

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South Sudan has joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Hepatitis Day under the theme “Eliminate Hepatitis” on 28 July 2017, at the University of Juba, college of medicine.

WHO provides lifesaving treatment for severely malnourished children with medical complication in South Sudan

Ms Marina Adrianopoli, Technical Officer for Nutrition, monitoring the utilization of the WHO SAM kits at the IMC clinic in Juba POC
To respond to the grave food security and address the alarming nutritional emergency in children, WHO has intensified its response focusing on inpatient therapeutic nutrition programs, through the distribution of essential medicines. In June 2017, WHO distributed 50 sever acute malnutrition (SAM) kits, to treat over 2 500 children suffering from SAM with medical complications. The SAM kits were dispatched to 13 hospitals, 25 primary health care centers and 2 health facillities in the Protection of Civilians (PoCs) supporting Inpatient Therapeutic Programs (ITP) in the Greater Equatoria Regions, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei and Counties with high prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) to provide sustainable lifesaving interventions.

WHO scales up cholera response with 500 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine for vaccination campaign in South Sudan

WHO receives 500 000 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine for a planned campaign in South Sudan. WHO South Sudan/L. Luwaga.

Juba, South Sudan, 19 July 2017: The World Health Organization (WHO) received 500 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) on 17 July 2017. WHO is working with the Republic of South Sudan’s Ministry of Health and partners to scale up cholera vaccination campaign from 28 July to 3 August 2017. 

Cumulatively, a total of 17 785 cholera cases including 320 (CFR 1.8%) deaths have been reported from 24 counties in South Sudan since the outbreak in June 2106.

WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and health partners strategizes efforts to combat cholera in South Sudan

WHO and partners conducting an assessment at Don Bosco Gumbo Oral Rehydration Point

Cholera contributes substantially to the disease burden in South Sudan, where outbreaks have been confirmed every year since 2014. Thus, cholera is endemic in South Sudan and requires an integrated and comprehensive approach that entails surveillance, patient care, optimal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); social mobilization and complementary use of oral cholera vaccines.

WHO supports a risk assessment/hazard profiling exercise for South Sudan to enhance emergency preparedness and response

Dr Rudi WHO Incident Manager addressing participants

Juba, 7 July 2017 – South Sudan has historically faced a double burden of natural and man-made hazards. The majority of which have been biological hazards like the Ebola outbreaks of 1976, 1979 and 2004, Yellow fever, Cholera, Measles, Meningitis, Visceral Leishmaniasis and Guinea Worm. Natural hazards including perennial floods, occasional droughts and famine affecting both human and animal health.

South Sudan Marks World Blood Donor Day 2017 Under the Theme: What can you do? Give blood. Give now. Give often

On behalf of Dr Abdulmumini Usman, the WHO Representative to South Sudan, Mr Evans Liyosi reads the address of the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti. Photo WHO

Juba, 14 June 2017– South Sudan on 14 June 2017 joined the rest of the world in marking the World Blood Donor Day under the theme: “What can you do? Give blood. Give now. Give often” to emphasize the significance of voluntary and regular blood donation and maintain adequate supplies and achieve a national self-sufficiency of blood; strengthen the emergency preparedness of health services in the community by donating blood and thank individuals who donate blood regularly and encourage young people to become new donors.