SSMJ February 2017

Editorials

Editorial - Children bear the health burden of the conflict in South Sudan

In its appeal for humanitarian assistance for South Sudan, UNICEF is requesting US$181 million to meet the humanitarian needs of children in the country in 2017 [1]. It painted a bleak picture of how the children of South Sudan bear the brunt of the conflict.

News, Reports and Policy

Obituary: Dr. Ayul Deng Ajak

Resources

Clinical Guidance

Management of common eye conditions in a primary health care setting: A guide for South Sudan health workers

South Sudan has a huge burden of blindness with an estimated prevalence in excess of 1.5% and it is a common reason for patients attending a primary care facility [1]. Seventy five percent of this blindness can be prevented or treated by properly trained middle cadre eye health worker working with simple diagnostic tools in a primary health care setting or by referring to secondary care in a timely manner.

Research

Audit of care of severely malnourished children aged 6 - 59 months at Al-Sabah Children Hospital, Juba, South Sudan

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is the most important risk factor for illness and death among young children being responsible for about half of all their deaths [1]. In the developing countries, 50.6 million children under the age of 5 years are malnourished [2]. One in seven South Sudanese children die before their fifth birthday, mainly from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria. The burden of disease attributable to malnutrition is also substantial with the malnutrition rate exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency threshold of fifteen percent [3].

Management of acute diarrhoea among children aged 6 - 59 months admitted at Juba Teaching Hospital

Most deaths of children under 5 years old are due to conditions that can be prevented or treated with access to simple, affordable interventions. The leading causes of death are pneumonia, diarrhoea and malnutrition [1]. The quality of care provided in low-income countries is often poor. More than half of the diarrhoea cases are complicated by malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) has guidelines for treating diarrhoea [2].

Knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among women with children aged between 9 and 12 months in Al Sabah Hospital, Juba, South Sudan

Breast milk is the optimal food for infants The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants are breastfed exclusively (EBF) for their first six months, and then start complementary feeding while continuing to breastfeed for a minimum of two years [1].

Case Reports

No documents found.

Summaries