The agony experienced by mothers during childbirth evokes sorrowful memories for Mrs. Atto Christine Lino, a midwife in South Sudan.
Mrs. Lino, a 28-year-old midwife, working at Gurei Primary Health Care Centre in Juba, highlights the severe challenges mothers go through while delivering babies in South Sudan. “It is always a very painful experience, working with mothers and witnessing the immense pain they endure during childbirth, said Lino. “Some manage to deliver safely despite the pain, others can lose their lives in the process.” she explains, adding that death is high among women who do not adhere to antenatal care.
Despite progress in recent decades, maternal and newborn deaths remain a critical challenge. Nearly 300 000 women die globally each year due to pregnancy or childbirth-related causes. In addition, 2.3 million babies die within their first month of life, and 1.9 million are stillborn – losses that are concentrated in low-income countries and fragile settings including South Sudan.
South Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios globally, with 1,223 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. For newborns, the burden is equally severe, with 40 deaths per 1,000 live births and a stillbirth rate of 26 per 1,000. These outcomes are driven by well-documented barriers such as limited access to skilled care, low rates of facility-based deliveries, insufficient emergency obstetric services, and underutilization of reproductive health interventions.
Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative to South Sudan commended the Ministry of Health’s efforts while reaffirming WHO’s commitment to collaborate with the government and health partners in South Sudan to improve provision of essential healthcare services. “As we mark 2025 World Health Day, It is imperative to consider both the challenges and achievements in enhancing healthcare system In South Sudan”, Said Dr Karamagi, “access to maternal care remains a pressing issue, and WHO remains steadfast in supporting the Ministry of Health to upgrade facilities, training skilled personnel, and investing in the social determinants of health to alleviate the suffering of women”.
WHO is partnering with organization like UNFPA, Momentum, WISH and STBF to strengthen health systems, through training of healthcare providers.
Mrs. Lino, who is one of the beneficiaries of the several trainings said the training has enable her to perform her duties well “I express my gratitude to my fellow health workers, you are doing a lot. I would like also to extend my request for further support to the government especially enhancing the skills and knowledge of health workers through training”.
In 2024 WHO supported the Ministry of Health to develop guidelines and training packages on post-abortion care (PAC), Maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR) and Cervical cancer control. The guidelines were used to train 15 health care workers from selected PHC centres in Central Equatoria State, which have been equipped with manual vacuum aspirators, beds, speculums and consumables.
In addition, a cervical cancer screening program has been established at the Wau Teaching Hospital in Western Bahr El Ghazal State, the Juba Teaching and Referral Hospital, the Kator PHC Centre and the Gurei PHC Centre in Central Equatoria State. Since screening began on 5 October 2024, 219 women have been screened in the following facilities: Of those screened, seven (4.1%) received treatment for premalignant lesions and 10 (5.9%) were diagnosed with cervical cancer and referred for further treatment in hospitals. These cervical cancer screening services are acting entry points for accessing family planning and post abortion care services.
Furthermore, WHO supported the Ministry of Health to enhance leadership and partnerships, improving healthcare access and quality. The newly World Bank-funded Health System Transformation Project, supported by UNICEF and WHO, strengthened emergency obstetric care, newborn services, supply chains, and digital health systems.
