A Health and Social Sciences Research Institute established in South Sudan

Author(s): HSSRI-SS

On 15th April 2021, a group of South Sudanese clinicians and academics met in Juba South Sudan. They identified the need for organized Research in South Sudan and agreed to form a Health and Social Sciences Research Institute of South Sudan (HSSRI-SS).

Members of HSSRI-SS (credit Brian Madison)

This body was registered in Juba on 23rd Aug 2021 as a professional, not-for-profit, non-sectarian and non-political body to promote research in Health and the Social Sciences.

Its main aims are to:

  1. Build research capacity in South Sudan,
  2. Embed research in clinical practice, university departments and other higher institutions of learning,
  3. Harness the talents of young and enthusiastic South Sudanese in the field of Research,
  4. Conduct baseline research at community and hospital (facility) level with the aim of identifying cost effective modes of managing and preventing common conditions in the country,
  5. Disseminate relevant research findings in Health and Social Sciences to enable the implementation of evidence-based findings in health service delivery and social care strategies,
  6. Provide an outlet for South Sudanese professionals to showcase their research findings in international fora including publications in established global journals,
  7. Forge collaboration with similar organizations/institutes in the region, other parts of Africa and the rest of the World,
  8. Raise funding for research activities to sustain the Institute.

The Institute pledges to undertake multi-Centre international studies involving drug trials and the treatment of common globally challenging conditions such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and the neglected tropical conditions to generate adequate and reliable data to inform treatment and prevention guidelines/protocols, policies, strategies and decisions at various levels of governance.

The interim Executive Committee of the Institute consist of the following:

  • Chairman: Dr. Justin Bruno Tongun
  • Secretary: Dr. Brian Billy Berto Madison
  • Treasurer: Dr. Gasim Omer El Khalifa Abd-Elfarag and Mrs. Clara Stephen Guya Lumori

The current membership stands at 15 individuals of both genders.

Any organization or individuals who wish to collaborate with the HSSRI-SS may contact the Chairman on email [email protected].

The website of the Institute in currently under development.