One day to go
Guest blog by Sara Lukey-Smith from the UK who is working in Juba, South Sudan, for World Vision.
One day to go before the Republic of South Sudan is born and in Juba the anticipation is ratcheting up. The John Garang Memorial, which will host the formal ceremony on Saturday, has been the centre of activities with the construction of grandstand seating and now a line of flagpoles to greet the visiting dignitaries. Over the last few weeks, central Juba has undergone a noticeable transformation - litter collected, recycling bins installed, flowers planted, road markings painted and lamp posts erected. The pace of change is rapid, each day you notice new buildings coming up in this soon-to-be national capital.
Impressions can be misleading
While Juba’s buzzing, the long drive back from Western Equatoria, one of South Sudan’s new states, yesterday gave me time to reflect. Starting off in Yambio, the state capital, it’s the typical scene many back home probably imagine – clusters of tukuls (the traditional thatched huts) overshadowed by majestic leafy trees and surrounded by lush green vegetation. Intersecting this is a marrom road, the main artery of the state, along which travel men on bicycles and women on foot often with their children in tow. While to the eye this may seem an easier environment to live in than say the drier, dustier states of Southern Sudan, once you look deeper at the health statistics, a different picture emerges for these women and children. Western Equatoria has the highest maternal, newborn and child mortality rates of all the 10 states of Southern Sudan and the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. According to the most recent figures, 2054 mothers die per 100,000 live births in Southern Sudan and this figure rises to 2327 in Western Equatoria. To help put this into perspective, the Irish maternal mortality rate is 6 per 100,000 live births.
Addressing health services issues is key
Speaking with expectant mothers and midwives, the same issues arise again and again. This includes the long journey times to health facilities, due to both the distance and lack of transport. Some women were walking over five hours each way. Then once at the health facility, there is a shortage of drugs, equipment and staff. It’s estimated that there are only 100 certified midwives in the whole of Southern Sudan, in a population of over 8 million this is roughly 1 midwife per 80,000 people. Given the limited education that the vast majority of the population have received, there’s also a real lack of understanding on the need for ante- and post-natal care for mothers. Addressing both the demand and supply side of health services will be key to improving mother and child health here.
Dr Madeleine who runs World Vision’s health projects in Western Equatoria is exactly what’s needed - she's skilled and passionate. As part of new project funding, she explains to the local communities that we’ll be training three midwives, as well as home health promoters, traditional birth attendants and the mothers themselves. But what about the numerous other communities who live far away from the marrom road and who currently remain inaccessible? It’s estimated that only 20% of the population of Southern Sudan have access to basic services.
A lot has already been done – there’s more to do
At the same time as weighing up the substantial developmental challenges that the new republic will face, one must also keep in mind just how far Southern Sudan has come since the signing of the peace agreement. On the drive back yesterday my colleague reminded me of that, recounting his childhood spent ‘in the bush’ during the war and then as a refugee in neighbouring Uganda. While the international media spotlight will likely shine on the new republic over the next few days, then fade away, with the sustained support of the international community over the coming years and decades progress can and will continue to be made.
Leave Comment
Comments