South Sudan - Emergency Health Care - Doctors without Borders Canada (MSF) 2016

March 2016 - An estimated 8.7 million people across South Sudan are affected by the effects of armed conflict and inter-communal violence economic decline disease and climatic shocks. Nearly 1.7 million are internally displaced within South Sudan and over 640 000 South Sudanese have sought protection in neighbouring countries. The civil war as well as erratic rainfall in some areas has driven 3.9 million people into severe food insecurity with malnutrition rates over emergency thresholds. Outbreaks of cholera measles and hepatitis E have strained an already overwhelmed health system. Humanitarian access remains restricted in many conflict areas and large numbers of people are accessible only by air drops. With GAC's support Doctors without Borders Canada will address urgent humanitarian needs of up to 368 000 conflict-affected people in Jonglei Upper Nile Warrap and Unity States as well as Agok and the Southern Abyei Region. Project activities include: (1) providing primary health care through mobile health posts and fixed clinics and related training to traditional birth attendants; (2) providing comprehensive care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and treatment for patients with malaria HIV or tuberculosis; (3) providing Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centers (ATFCs) and referral services for those in need of secondary health care; and (4) providing life-saving surgery and treatments of severe malnourished patients.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to emergency health care; (2) increased capacity of local health centres to address conflict-related emergencies; and (3) increased access to emergency health care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.