Affiliations: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - GoSS, Directorate of Preventive Medicine
coordinator :Dr. Mounir C.L Lugga
Tel: +256 477 164 356
mail: mojolong@yahoo.com
Overview
The Sudan Health Transformation Program (STHP) was conceived and designed as abroad programme under which the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and partnering organizations and agencies would improve the health conditions of the Southern Sudan populations. The STHP would essentially follow the national health policy of the SLPM Secretariat of health.
The mission of the STHP is: to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the community by promoting good health through universal, comprehensive and community based health care.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Epidemiology and Surveillance Capacity Development was tasked to implement one of the focus areas: Technical Support to the National Health Secretariat and county health departments through strengthening field epidemiology, communicable diseases surveillance.
Southern Sudan adopted the World Health Organisation strategy for Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) in October 2007 which emphasizes that the epidemic prone and other priority diseases are reported using a common approach.
IDSR aims at improving early detection and reporting: Strengthening capacity to confirm cases: Improving promptness of reporting for timely action: Increasing the value and strengthening data use for decision making, ensuring regular feedback and dissemination of information: Enhancement of knowledge and skills of health workers and improving the quality of surveillance performance through improved quality of support supervision.
Southern Sudan became a member of African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in October 2007, however the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) has been ongoing and is affiliated to the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture, the Technology Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases and the Kenya Medical Reseach Institute, Nairobi.
Objectives
1. Strengthening applied field epidemiology and laboratory management
2. Strengthening communicable disease surveillance system
3. Improving the disease outbreak investigation and response
Achievements of AFENET in Southern Sudan
- Recruiting and Posting an Epidemiologist in the MOH-GoSS technical support unit,under the Epidemiology and Surveillance Division in the Directorate of of Preventive Medicine.
Activities include:
- Providing technical support, advice and assistance to the MOH authorities and
partners in policy issues and in all aspects of the implementation of integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) system for infectious diseases and overall control of infectious diseases.
- Responding, participating, supervision and providing guidance for the outbreaks and epidemic surveillance in South Sudan. AFENET has actively participated in the following outbreaks:
- Meningitis outbreak in Eastern Equatorial state
- Cholera outbreak in Eastern Equatorial state
- Measles outbreak in Central Equatorial state
- Suspected Viral Hemorrhagic Fever in Juba Teaching Hospital
- Cholera Outbreak in Central Equatorial State
- Assisting in training in IDSR at the central, state and county levels to enhance
the institutionalization processes within the MoH. AFENET has actively participated in
training of health workers in Warap, Lakes and Central Equatorial States
- Evaluating and analyzing data, quality control and data utilization methods and
developing strategies to improve quality of data collected and disseminated through report writing.
- Strengthening the link and working relationship between the relevant agencies both
public and private that are working in the disease surveillance and outbreak response.
- Participated in the development of the Epidemic and Preparedness plan of Meningitis for the Ministry of Health
- Regularly participates and is a member of the Epidemic Preparedness and Response taskforce at the central level.
- Mentoring the students (ongoing process) who are currently under the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (FELTP) and are based in the Epidemiology and Surveillance Department and follow up assessment of trainees to ensure quality of training and performance in disease control activities.
- Participating and supporting the development/adaptation of IDSR guidelines and training materials relating to the programmes and participating in the preparation of national and district training activities.
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