SSMJ November 2011
Editorials
The priority of the draft five year Strategic Health Policy for the Republic of South Sudan (2011-2015) is to improve maternal and child health and eradicate communicable diseases. The policy is generally silent on the issue of emerging non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The population is in epidemiological transition and at risk of acquiring these diseases because of lifestyle and behavioural changes as more people move to urban areas
News, Reports and Policy
The SSMJ team are pleased to welcome Dr Edward Eremugo Luka as the new Editor-in-Chief of this journal.
The Republic of South Sudan Ministry of Health has appointed Dr Peter Newman, Consultant Neurologist, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, England, to the post of Honorary Director of Postgraduate Medical Education for South Sudan.
“Prevention is better than cure” Erasmus said back in the 1400’s. Agreed… but practically prevention and cure should go hand in hand together. Martha Mobile Health Unit (linked with Martha Clinic PHCC Yei) does both. The goal and hope is that not only professional and affordable health care is given, but that through preventative health education, communities learn to prevent sicknesses. Together with Rev. Obadiah Batali and, later on Knight Rose, health education in the communities was our priority
The Community Based Health Care Project in Mayendit County, Unity State, started with a pilot phase in 2008-2010 with a target population of 116,000 inhabitants. The overall objective was to improve access to quality basic health services for a rural population with a special focus on vulnerable groups. Included among the major activities was the establishment and training of Boma Health Committees (BHCs)
Early in 2011, Martha PHCC, Yei (a PHCC with a mobile outreach) contacted Thare Machi, a charity that produces interactive health education DVDs for use in developing countries. The Yei team (Figure 1) translated and recorded six topics into Juba Arabic and sent them to UK where they were made into DVDs. These cover the following topics: You and your new baby, Safe water, Avoiding malaria, Bednets can save lives, Immunisation and Basic hygiene.
With immediate effect, all Medical and Dental Practitioners wishing to work in the South Sudan in a hospital, community setting, a clinic or private set-up are required to register with the South Sudan Medical and Dental Council.
Clinical Guidance
Improving maternal, newborn, and child health is a leading priority worldwide. It is a particularly urgent issue in South Sudan, which suffers from the world’s worst maternal mortality and among the worst newborn and child mortalities
Examples of checklists for maternal, newborn and child health workers
Faced with the magnitude of health care challenges in South Sudan, one could argue that epilepsy is a minor problem and that resources should not be diverted from more pressing needs. Yet epilepsy is a common and often devastating condition which in South Sudan burdens the lives of more than 100,000 sufferers and their families. In most cases it could be effectively and cheaply treated if resources and systems were available
This is a common problem among young children. In a study reported in this journal (1) it accounted for over half of the children with all forms of poisoning admitted to 20 health units in Uganda. This problem usually seems to arise from kerosene being kept in an unlabelled container (e.g. a cola bottle) and within reach of the child.
Research
When I was working in Uganda I saw several cases of poisoning with organophosphates and was horrified by the mortality. Here I report on a simple study we carried out nearly 10 years ago to find how widespread poisoning was in Uganda.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Delays in diagnosis and treatment increase morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis, and the risk of transmission in the community.
HIV stigma and discrimination are a daily reality for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and their families. Stigma is prevalent in all countries experiencing HIV epidemics, including South Sudan. It is found within families, in communities, institutions such as health care facilities and places of employment, in the media and in government policies, laws and legislation.
Case Reports
Case Study – Acute Internal Carotid Artery Obstruction
Summaries
In this issue these are listed under:
HIV/AIDS
Malaria
Maternal, neonatal and child health
Nutrition
Surgery
Miscellaneous