Southern Sudan
After decades of strife, Southern Sudan has become an autonomous region of Sudan. Many of Southern Sudan’s people are returning from years of dislocation, and there is an urgent need to rebuild a health system decimated by years of unrest.
While the country has relatively low HIV prevalence, the need for strong prevention programs is critical as soldiers are demobilized, displaced residents return home and travel, trade and labor migration increase. To address this concern, the Southern Sudanese Ministry of Health has joined with IntraHealth and other NGOs to establish HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs within the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). This work is now expanding to other uniformed cadres, including the police, firemen, forestry managers, and prison officials.
IntraHealth is also working with the Ministry to hire and manage Southern Sudan’s health workforce. By helping to establish a national human resources information system (HRIS) coordinated with state-level systems, IntraHealth is supporting the MOH in implementing a strategic approach to workforce development and improving access to health information.
IntraHealth and its partners are supporting the repatriation, training and integration of Southern Sudanese health professionals in the public and NGO sectors, beginning with the repatriation of 15 doctors. To foster leadership development, IntraHealth is facilitating a program that includes skills development workshops, executive coaching and study tours. An additional aim is to support the development of nursing and midwifery services through targeted leadership and management skills development at all levels of the nursing workforce.
Our efforts are:
- Establishing counseling and testing centers at army bases
- Training counselors and providers of testing services (15, as of August 2007)*
- Testing 671 men and women for HIV/AIDS
- Training military officers to educate soldiers about HIV/AIDS (27, as of August 2007)*
- Supporting local NGOs that offer referral treatment and care for HIV positive clients
Our current work in Southern Sudan is through the IntraHealth-led Capacity Project, the Reducing the Impact of HIV Project, and The Provision of Prevention and Awareness Services among Uniformed Cadres in the Fight againts HIV/AIDS in Southern Sudan Project.
More information on IntraHealth's work in Southern Sudan can be downloaded here.
Donor/Projects: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Reduce the Impact of HIV Project), USAID (Capacity Project), UNHCR ( The Provision of Prevention and Awareness Services among Uniformed Cadres in the Fight against HIV/AIDS in Southern Sudan)
Partners, Reduce the Impact of HIV Project: The Sudanese People’s Liberation Army, Merlin (Medical Emergency Relief International, a UK-based health services organization) and the International Medical Corps
Partners, Capacity Project: IMA World Health, Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health, Management Sciences for Health
Selected health statistics for Southern Sudan: Due to Southern Sudan’s recent history, we have not been able to find reliable demographic data. As soon as this data comes available this page will be updated.
* Figures from the Reduce the Impact of HIV/AIDS in Southern Sudan Quarterly Report, July 2007