Juba ‒ Cecilia Achuwor, a 38-three hundred and sixty five days-mature mother of six younger people, is one amongst the a total bunch of thousands of refugees and returnees who salvage crossed the border into South Sudan since the initiating of the battle in neighbouring Sudan 16 months within the past. “My husband stays in Khartoum,” she says. “We separated from him with none verbal exchange. He doesn’t know the attach we are and we furthermore don’t know the attach he’s. I am right here by myself with the younger people, and they’re all in heart-broken health,” she says.
Achuwor, a South Sudanese nationwide, is at a transit centre attain Renk, a tiny town that borders Sudan to the north. For the explanation that initiating of the Sudanese battle, almost 60% of the 600 000 refugees and returnees who salvage entered South Sudan salvage done so thru two aspects of entry attain Renk. More only recently, a original battle has begun pretty to the east of Renk, and humanitarian employees salvage reported people arriving on foot thru the bush.
“WHO, health authorities and enforcing partners are collaborating every day to teach health services to refugees and returnees hoping for a higher lifestyles.” Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative, South Sudan
“In desire to coming from an residing love, express, Khartoum that had pretty accumulate entry to by dual carriageway, now we’re seeing people literally strolling into South Sudan for care and security,” says Dr Brendan Deenan, World Health Group (WHO) Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer in South Sudan. “So, the dispute is worse than it was beforehand, and we are seeing many health challenges, humanitarian challenges, and security challenges on a every day basis.”
Refugees and returnees in general exhibit with a range of infectious ailments, as smartly as chronic ailments. “No longer now not up to 50% of the cases are communicable ailments. Malaria is on high of the checklist, followed by acute respiratory tract infections and we are seeing a upward push in acute watery diarrhoea,” says Dr William Nazario, a doctor with Global Medical Corps.
Within the intervening time, Dr Ayuel Deng, Medical Officer for Renk County highlights that an increasing number of more people are presenting with hypertension, diabetes and cancers and require chronic treatment and specialist services.
WHO is supporting county health authorities to coordinate the health response for returnees and refugees. At two transit centres attain Renk, the Group is offering supportive supervision to three health agencies ‒Global Medical Corps, Aid Global and World Imaginative and prescient Global ‒ who teach primary health care services to 4000 refugees and returnees per week.
This has helped to make certain that higher accumulate entry to to health services for these vulnerable populations, who want to suffer advanced conditions at the transit centres. “The service right here is pretty” says Nailla Elhadi Hamid, a 40-three hundred and sixty five days-mature refugee from Sudan. “I even brought my son right here, who’s in heart-broken health with malaria, and the medication is offered. Before that, my sister had note agonize and she stumbled on the medication was furthermore accessible.”
Following a cholera outbreak in Sudan in September 2023, WHO has trained round 92 health care employees from health services round Renk in cholera surveillance, prevention, medication and administration. The Group has established a cholera screening centre at the Wunthou level of entry. Since December 2023, 320 000 people salvage been assessed by health employees right here, now not exclusively for cholera, nonetheless furthermore utterly different infections ailments and health conditions. “We furthermore present oral rehydration solution because the attach people salvage attain from, they are mature.” says John Toch, a medical nurse at the centre.
“The service right here is pretty. I brought my son right here, who’s in heart-broken health with malaria, and the medication is offered.” Nailla Elhadi Hamid, refugee
For the explanation that launch of the battle, WHO has furthermore distributed 119 metric a total bunch medical provides and instruments to treat 680 000 people, in conjunction with kits for a range of infectious ailments and malnutrition. As portion of its tainted-border collaboration, WHO South Sudan nation explain of job in partnership with the WHO Sudan nation explain of job delivered 51 metric a total bunch emergency health kits to attain 830 000 people residing in battle-affected communities attain the border. “We no doubt treasure WHO, because they toughen us plenty in phrases of provides to our partners,” says Deng.
“WHO, health authorities and enforcing partners are collaborating every day to teach health services to refugees and returnees hoping for a higher lifestyles,” says Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative in South Sudan. “Without our donors this would now not be that it’s essential maybe perhaps be ready to imagine. So, working along with others, WHO will proceed to toughen the health emergency response in South Sudan.”
