Maternal care and provision in South Sudan

 

                               

 

 

Giving birth in South Sudan, a matter of life and death

 

Women in the community of Ikotos face treacherous journey into motherhood

 

Poor infrastructure and capacity to provide access to maternal care in South Sudan means that only 19- % of births are attended by a skilled medical worker, according to emerge poverty free, a charity committed to poverty alleviation. 

 

All Nations Christian Care (ANCC), a partner of emerge poverty free working in Ikotos, South Sudan, found that lack of access to basic medical services and poor preparation during pregnancy results in dangerous home deliveries, in a country with one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world.

 

Due to a limited number of health care centres, only 35% of women in Ikotos have access to maternity medical facilities.

Preparations during pregnancy are poor because would-be mothers need to continue agricultural work right up until they go into labour. A result of this is that many pregnant women are not attending regular clinical check-ups and, some mothers are caught unaware when going into labour.

 

The most urgently needed medical supplies for clinics are- birthing kits, hospital beds, antibiotics, and disinfectant. Other recommendations from ANCC include educating communities on proper nutrition, birth preparation, and personal hygiene, as well as the benefits of pregnant women knowing their HIV/ AIDS status.

 

In Ikotos, a town in the East of South Sudan, ANCC discovered that limited means of transport and poor infrastructure further complicate the provision of maternal care.

 

Poor data collection on birth rates, due to the civil war, a lack of resources, qualified personnel and resistance from the local community, causes yet more issues.  Commenting, ANCC said: "There is reluctance by the new mother's to balance trust between the rigid traditions and the modern health practices".

 

Commenting on the plight of pregnant women in Ikotos, Jeremy Horner, Director of emerge poverty free, said:

"For these women, the extent to which they can access basic medical services can potentially be the difference between life and death. Women in Ikotos, South Sudan, face poor access to even the most basic medical services, and are expected to carry out physically taxing work throughout their pregnancy".

 

emerge poverty free (Registered Charity no. 1045672) is a small yet highly effective charity based in the UK. We empower people across the world to overcome poverty.

 

ANCC have been working across Eastern Africa since the 1980s, supporting vulnerable social groups affected by war.

 

Mother and child, Ikotos village, South Sudan