Primary Health Care

The Ministry of Health recognizes Primary Health Care as key to health development in Southern Sudan. The Primary Health Care services package will be implemented to enhance a sustainable increased coverage of basic health services throughout Southern Sudan. The Basic package will focus on five levels of facilities/services mainly:

Community Based Health Activities
Primary Health Care Units (PHCU)
Primary Health Care Center (PHCC)
County Hospital
County Health Department

Southern Sudan moves from a post-emergency setting to one of development, donors and NGOs have the opportunity to play a major role in increasing access to and quality of health care. With the long term goal of ensuring access of basic health care to the majority of the population, the Health Sector Recovery Strategy has set the following targets for 2010: 1 hospital per 300,000 people, 1 PHCC per 50,000 people and 1 PHCU per 15,000 people. These targets represent a substantial expansion of the present health care infrastructure, corresponding to increases of 100% for the number of hospitals, 133% for PHCC and 45% for PHCU.

However, in the absence of access to routine services, the health of the people of Southern Sudan is poor. Life expectancy at birth is 42 years. Infant and under-five mortality lie at 150 death/1000 live births and 250/1,000 live births respectively. Under-five mortality makes 57% of the total deaths (NSCSE 2004).

Achievements in 2009

• 71,405 patients received treatment in OPD (Outpatient Department)
• 5,224 patients were admitted in IPD (Inpatient Department)
• 6,485 pregnant mothers attended ANC
• 31,317 Laboratory tests performed
• 27 IECHC (Integrated Essential Child Health Care) workers trained
• 36TBAs (Traditional Birth Attendants) trained