South Sudan enhances infection prevention measures amid environmental challenges

Since 2020, South Sudan has contended with severe flooding due to heavy rainfall and rising levels of the White Nile, affecting nearly one million people and disrupting daily life and health services extensively.

In a significant step to safeguard public health, the Ministry of Health in South Sudan, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and international partners, is intensifying its efforts to implement stringent infection prevention and control (IPC) and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) standards in healthcare settings across the nation. This initiative, crucially funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), and Resolve to Save Lives, targets the dual threats of infection transmission and water-borne diseases, which have been exacerbated by environmental challenges.

Since 2020, South Sudan has contended with severe flooding due to heavy rainfall and rising levels of the White Nile, affecting nearly one million people and disrupting daily life and health services extensively. In response, the WHO has ramped up its support, focusing on implementing effective IPC/WASH measures that include water quality testing, promoting hand hygiene, managing healthcare waste, and enforcing IPC guidelines through comprehensive strategies and standard operating procedures.

The healthcare sector's resilience is evident from the training of over 648 healthcare workers between 2023 and March 2024, aimed at enhancing nationwide responses to health emergencies. These efforts are supported by the deployment of laboratory experts and public health officers to conduct rigorous water quality surveillance and sanitation inspections.

In a recent surge of testing activities, 967 water samples were analyzed for contamination. The tests, which were carried out both onsite and at the National Public Health Laboratory in Juba, revealed that 581 samples were contaminated with fecal coliforms (E. coli), indicating a 60% contamination rate across the country's water points. As an immediate measure, WHO has distributed over 1521 assorted IPC/WASH supplies, including waste bins, disinfectants, and water testing equipment, to critical locations.

Dr. Humphrey Karamagi, the WHO Representative for South Sudan, emphasized the centrality of infection prevention in the organization's health interventions. "Our main goal is to minimize infections and prevent needless deaths by placing infection prevention at the center stage of all our health interventions," he stated.

The ongoing efforts also include enhancing the capacity of healthcare workers through refresher training, mentorship, and strategic guidance to meet the IPC program's minimum requirements. WHO continues to work closely with WASH and health cluster partners to improve sanitary conditions in health facilities and to integrate IPC strategies into existing health structures.

This comprehensive approach not only aims to improve patient outcomes and protect healthcare workers but also emphasizes the importance of institutionalizing IPC as a routine quality process in healthcare, beyond just outbreak response measures.