Christian Mission Aid

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

      Preserving Life in South Sudan


I t is early morning and the sun is already scorching hot in Keew, South Sudan, where one of Christian Mission Aid’s (CMA) 4 Primary Health Care Centers is located. 

Several patients wait outside, patiently supporting their backs against the tukuls (mud-walled, grass thatched huts) that make up the health centre buildings.  Most of them have walked for two months to get here, depending on relatives and friends along the way for whatever little food or water they could get. Others have walked for three to four hours.

CMA started a primary health center here in 1993, and now runs five primary Health Care centers and supports 15 primary health care units that serve a population of over 500,000 per year. These health centers are the only ones in the Upper Nile and Jonglei states.  A day in the health centers could range from simply administering painkillers to, performing complex medical procedures like eye surgeries and amputations.  The health centers also give services in mother-child health care, and an Expanded Program of Immunization, distribution of zithromax antibiotics for prevention against trachoma, hygiene and sanitation education, and treatment and management life threatening diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, cholera and meningitis outbreaks, and diarrhea. Success stories of lives saved abound, as in Dajo, three year old Ding Ding lies in one of the ward beds soundly asleep. I can see his chest rise and fall with every breath he takes. One week ago, his parents brought him to the clinic suffering from severe malnutrition. He was very weak and close to death. 

“You would not have recognized this boy one week ago,” CMA’s nurse, Florence Ng’ang’a, tells me. “He has made a great improvement.” 

 Ding Ding’s mother touches him gently as she wipes away the sweat that keeps on collecting on his brow. 

 “A week ago, he could not sleep, all he wanted to do was eat and eat,” she tells me. 

 

“But now, he’s much better and can even sleep. Am grateful to CMA for treating my son,” she says with a smile. 

A two-decade war in Sudan destroyed most infrastructures. Hospitals, schools and roads were lost in the war, leaving the people depraved and desperate for help.   

Preventable diseases such as malaria and cholera afflict at least 70% of the people. Yellow fever, sleeping sickness, trachoma, guinea worm infections and leprosy are other diseases that continue to manifest themselves among the inhabitants.

According to a 2006 report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), malaria accounts for 40 percent of all health facility visits in South Sudan, where despite vast water resources, 70 percent of people do not have access to safe water and 85 percent do not have sanitation facilities.

CMA in partnership with USAID has been instrumental in the provision of health care to the Sudanese people

Every morning in the CMA clinics, Sudanese health workers gather for lessons in health care. Since most of them are semi-literate, the training is done in such a way that they can easily grasp the concepts. Practical training is conducted in the wards, pharmacy and operating rooms.

The training has borne fruit and the health workers are able to give injections, immunizations, conduct trachoma surgeries and conduct general health-check-ups without any assistance. In addition, several of them have been able to attend a health college in Yei, South Sudan through support from CMA.

Children under the age of five years old are especially vulnerable to disease. In 2003, a UNICEF report estimated that only one in five children are fully vaccinated against common childhood diseases and that up to 17 percent of infants in South Sudan do not live to see their second birthday.

The mother child health care program run by CMA and USAID has been effective in giving immunizations and vaccines to children as well as teaching their mothers on proper nutrition and hygiene.

Through regular medical outreaches, CMA immunizes at least 200 children per session. In 2006, we conducted more than 2, 500 immunizations in the Upper Nile area.

Emergency responses

Due to lack of proper hygiene and safe drinking water, cholera outbreaks are quite common in South Sudan. According to reports from the CMA health centers, a cholera outbreak in 2006 affected more than 20,000 people in the areas we work in and left 250 dead. CMA worked to contain the outbreak in Keew, Jaibor and Malakal areas, saving the lives of thousands of people.  

In addition to cholera, meningitis outbreaks are also widespread. In 2006, CMA conducted 40,000 immunizations against meningitis. In the resurgence of these diseases, CMA staff continues to conduct community health education, teaching the local communities on hygienic practices and disease prevention measures

CMA expanded its comprehensive eye services program in April 2006, to include a mobile eye unit team which rotates around the Upper Nile area. Through cataract operations, hundreds of people have regained their eyesight. The irreversibly blind are rehabilitated back into society giving them a chance to lead an almost normal life.

In 2006, the team reached a total of 50,000 people and operated, on 1000 trachoma and cataract cases.  CMA has been instrumental in bringing trachoma under control. Trachoma is an eye disease spread by houseflies and if left untreated can cause blindness. 

In November 2006, CMA established a new health centre in Dajo serving a population of more than 21,000 people. The challenges are great here. Before CMA set foot in this area, not even one person had been immunized. 

There were also no traditional birth attendants and women would give birth alone, and cut the umbilical cord using sorghum stalks. As a result, most babies would contract neonatal tetanus and die. CMA has made great efforts to strengthen primary health care in this area through medical outreaches and training health workers.

Since 1993, CMA has been working under extremely difficult conditions in South Sudan and has had to evacuate staff several times due to insecurity. 

We are however committed to bringing hope to thousands of people in South Sudan through medical care. This is made possible by continued support from USAID. We appreciate your partnership. 

“CMA has been working here since 1993. There has been war all through, but CMA has always come back. And only CMA is on the ground right now. If it were not for you, many of our people would have died for lack of medical care.” James Riam – director – health county, KEEW, South Sudan.

Do you want to help us? Visit our Donations Page