SSMJ May 2011

Editorials

Editorial: Health Priorities and the New Dawn in South Sudan

South Sudan has come out of a protracted long-standing civil war that has affected its health system and infrastructure. Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, and the ending of the war, one of the major priorities of the Government remains the need for an entirely developmental approach in building up the health system and addressing the health needs of the population, especially women and children...

News, Reports and Policy

A new Link is born….between Winchester and Yei

On 7th November 2010 a group of clinicians set off from the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, UK on a fact-finding visit to Yei in Southern Sudan. The purpose of this visit was to review healthcare there, specifically secondary care at Yei Civil Hospital, and to assess whether a ‘Link’ between Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust (WEHCT) and Yei Civil Hospital would be mutually beneficial.

Bor Medical Camp

In November 2010 I took part in a 7-day Regional Medical Camp in Bor town, South Sudan. This was the 4th medical camp organized by the University of Calgary as part of the SSHARE (Southern Sudan Healthcare Accessibility, Rehabilitation and Education) Project...

A Snapshot of Southern Sudan around 2009 – How Much Have Things Changed?

The following material is reproduced with permission from “Situation Analysis of Nutrition in Southern Sudan: Analysis Based on June 2009 Assessment” by Mija-tesse Ververs for the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance II Project (FANTA-2). See Table 1 page 6 “Selected Population Statistics in Southern Sudan” for full details and references.

Congratulations!

We at SSMJ would like to acknowledge the achievements and offer our heart-felt congratulations to the following: Dr Eluzai Abe Hakim, our UK-based editor, who has been appointed International Advisor to Royal College of Physicians representing South Sudan. International Advisors represent the College internationally and act as a point of contact between local Members and Fellows and the College. In addition...

Special Supplement: Development of Nursing and Midwifery Services in South Sudan

The following articles were prepared by the Ministry of Health and UNFPA . Strengthening nursing and midwifery in Southern Sudan: A key strategy for improving health care beyond independence. Country Context: Southern Sudan has been experiencing civil war for many years before the historic peace agreement reached in 2005 and the subsequent referendum in 2011. The successful outcome of the referendum has resulted in Southern Sudan preparing to celebrate independence in July 2011.

Clinical Guidance

Malaria in South Sudan 4: Treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria

In the February 2011 issue of SSMJ we covered the pathophysiology, and clinical and laboratory diagnosis of malaria (1, 2, 3). In this article we deal with the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Management of malaria among pregnant women and children, and treatment of severe malana will be published in future issues of this journal.

WHO Charts for Everyone Caring for Children in Hospital - Chart 6

Chart 6. How to position the unconscious child from ‘Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children - Guidelines for the Management of Common Illnesses with Limited Resources’ WHO 2005. See the whole book at http://www.ichrc.org/. Charts 1 – 5 were reproduced in previous issues of this journal. You can use these charts in different ways. For example, you can print them and display them in relevant wards or clinics (laminated if possible), or use them as a ‘memory aid’ in your pocket, as handouts or as training aids. We thank the WHO for permission to reproduce these charts, and Dr O’Hare who gave us the idea of making the charts more widely available.

Research

Risk factors for the transmission of kala-azar in Fangak, South Sudan

This article reports a case controlled study of kala-azar done in Fangak County in 2007. Fifty-six percent of the cases were under 5 years old. Most patients came for treatment two months or more after the onset of symptoms. Outdoor night-time activities and the use of “Smoking” (non-insecticide treated) bed nets were associated with kala-azar infection whereas the use of bed nets during the rainy season decreased the risk of infection. It is recommended that there should be a greater distribution of treated bed nets and more kala-azar treatment centres in the county.

Preventing malaria during pregnancy: factors determining the use of insecticide-treated bed-nets and intermittent preventive therapy in Juba

The study was carried out among 334 pregnant and newly delivered women seen at Juba Teaching Hospital in 2009. The objective was to assess the coverage of insecticide-treated bed-nets (ITN) and Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) among these women and the factors associated with their use. Overall 87% of the women used ITN and 61% used IPT. ITN use was positively associated with buying nets, indoor spraying of insecticide and higher household income. IPT use was positively associated with more frequent antenatal clinic visits, indoor spraying and buying

Trauma, a new cause of death, disability and economic loss in Juba

Five years ago we were seeing an increasing number of trauma cases in Juba Teaching Hospital and the situation is even worse today in 2011. The objectives of this study were to: Determine the magnitude and type of trauma injury as seen in Juba, examine its causes, explore possible solutions.

Case Reports

Case Study - Intracranial Haemorrhage

Clinical History: Hospital admission after sudden onset of severe headache, photophobia and neck stiffness with subsequent fall and loss of consciousness...

Summaries

News and Resources - May 2011

In this issue these are listed under: HIV and other infections, Nutrition, Surgery, Medicine/Other conditions, Continuing medical education/learning materials...