South Sudan one year on: three videos show new nation's struggle for health care
10-07-2012
On 9 July 2012, South Sudan celebrated its first year as an independent country. The ICRC is marking the occasion with a three-part video series that illustrates the extremely precarious conditions affecting health care near the border conflict and the scarcity of medical personnel and supplies.
South Sudan: growing need for amputee care
The final part of our three-part series on South Sudan's struggle for health care
South Sudan celebrated its first year of independence on 9 July 2012. But becoming the world's newest country has not brought an end to the years of armed conflict. The latest fighting around the northern border with Sudan escalated in April.
The ICRC operates an air ambulance service, flying landmine victims and casualties of the fighting to the Juba Physical Rehabilitation Centre. This joint ICRC/South Sudanese government centre is the only one of its kind in the country, but getting there would be too difficult and too expensive for many South Sudanese. Thanks to the ICRC’s air operation, people from remote areas of South Sudan are able to receive artificial limbs, physical rehabilitation services and treatment for wounds.
Already published
| Part 1: malnutrition rising as fighting continues in world's newest nation (published on 6 July 2012) | |
The fighting has had a direct impact on the health of this fledgling nation after the border closed preventing food from reaching the market, and causing price hikes. Dr Georgio Monti, paediatrician for the ICRC, describes the effect on the malnourished children he treats at Malakal hospital. | |
| Part 2: woman travels three days for treatment after losing leg (published on 9 July 2012) | |
There are only 120 doctors and just over 100 registered nurses for South Sudan's population of nearly 9 million. When Nyataba Lam Keat lost a leg during the recent ethnic fighting in Akobo, she had to travel for three days to reach a hospital that could treat her. Warning: contains graphic footage of blood and wounds | |
News release: