The South Sudan Medical Journal exists to inform, educate and positively influence the development of Health Services in South Sudan.
The Journal is published quarterly in February, May, August and November.
The SSMJ is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
eISSN 2309-4613
SSMJ is listed on the African Journals Online (AJOL) and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Visit these sites to learn more.
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EDITORIAL
Dr Eluzai Abe Hakim
Part of this issue of the journal is dedicated to important aspects of prevention, diagnosis and management of stroke in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
In the South Sudan there are no guidelines on the prevention and management of stroke. Most African countries lie among the LMIC where 87% of disability adjusted life years are lost from stroke and 86% of stroke related deaths occur. Although stroke mortality is high in Africa there is a paucity of information on stroke subtypes and outcomes to inform appropriate intervention. A recent study in South Sudan, conducted by The Sudd Institute, shows that substantial proportions of women in South Sudan experience GBV either in form of physical (34.0%) or sexual (13.5%) violence in their lifetime. Intimate Partner Violence is at 49.6%, the second highest in the region.
Visit the Ministry of Health COVID-19 site here
WHO
In response to a Yellow Fever outbreak in December 2023, the Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and other partners, conducted a yellow fever vaccination campaign in Western Equatoria State. The campaign targeted Yambio, Nzara, Ibba, Ezzo, and Tambura Counties, reaching 465 798 persons with the lifesaving vaccine.
The outbreak, confirmed on 24 December 2023, marked the region's second major outbreak in over three years, following a previous episode in the neighboring county of Kajo Keji in 2020. The campaign aimed to vaccinate approximately 608 268 individuals aged nine months to 65 years. Despite logistical challenges and the complexities of operating in a conflict-affected area, the initiative achieved a 77% coverage rate, highlighting the difficulties in reaching all targeted individuals.