JUBA, May 29 – As malnutrition rises and more people are exposed to fatal disease outbreaks, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) advocates for closer partnerships among humanitarian actors in South Sudan to avoid preventable deaths.
One out of every ten children in South Sudan dies before five years old, mostly from preventable diseases. More than 75 percent of these deaths are caused by malaria, diarrhoea or pneumonia. Meanwhile, the current country's high levels of malnutrition contribute to high mortality rates among children under 5. Approximately 1.65 million of those children are acutely malnourished.
Malnutrition lowers immunity, making diseases easier to catch. It’s even worse for children living in refugee and internally displaced camps...Dr. Jatinder Singh, MSF Medical Coordinator in South Sudan
“Children affected by malnutrition are at a higher risk of dying from preventable-vaccine diseases, including meningitis, measles, yellow fever, cholera and malaria”, says Dr. Jatinder Singh, MSF Medical Coordinator in South Sudan.
The latest Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC) report found that 56% of the population is currently facing acute food insecurity, classed as crisis or worse.
“Malnutrition lowers immunity, making diseases easier to catch. It’s even worse for children living in refugee and internally displaced camps where contagious diseases spread due to malnutrition, overcrowding, and poor water and sanitation.” continues Dr. Singh.
More than 700,000 people have crossed the border since the Sudan Civil War began. Also, 1.5 million South Sudanese live in internally displaced camps due to recurring floods and internal conflicts. Forced displacement may result in incomplete routine vaccinations, putting both the displaced and host populations at risk. Mass immunization campaigns in transit centers and camps are required to prevent the spread of contagious diseases while reducing future administrative and logistical costs.
If widely and well implemented, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) launched by the World Health Program (WHO), could be a game changer for South Sudan. Evidence shows that increased vaccination coverage protects children from vaccine-preventable diseases and contributes to lower malnutrition rates. This is why MSF supports the Ministry of Health in conducting large-scale vaccination campaigns building long-term immunity among communities.
To boost coverage, the Expanded Immunization Program (EPI) should integrate vaccinations into complimentary health activities such as nutrition services and sensitization sessions. Effective coordination among health partners is needed, as well as a close collaboration with other critical sectors such as nutrition, food security, and water sanitation and hygiene. These include collecting, analyzing, and acting on disease and nutritional surveillance data, ensuring nutritional services, providing health services, and reducing barriers to accessing care.
“We must increase efforts to make sure that all children have access to life-saving vaccines. Investing in large-scale preventable-vaccines campaigns for all children can save money, time and lives. By working together with the Ministry of Health and humanitarian actors, we can prevent and respond more effectively to disease outbreaks.” said Zakaria Mwatia, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan.