Limited access to life-saving specialist treatment for mothers and newborn babies is a major cause of maternal deaths in South Sudan. To help reduce the number of deaths, HealthNet TPO has established a Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) Centre in Raja Hospital with a team of senior medical experts.
Reducing maternal deaths
Raja is an isolated county in South Sudan with a population of over 85,000 people. Here, maternal mortality remains a key issue as mothers and newborn babies who need emergency care do not have access to specialist treatment. The Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) Centre established by HealthNet TPO serves the 21,250 women of child bearing age, pregnant women, lactating mothers and newborn babies. So far over 100 surgeries have been performed by the HealthNet TPO team in last 12 months and no maternal deaths reported.
Dr. Onwar Otien – Obstetrician & Gynecologist and Hospital Coordinator at Raja County hospital said:
"Thanks to the availability of CEmONC services in Raja Hospital the number of maternal and neonatal deaths in the county has reduced. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of mothers needing caesarean section has increased. Mothers requiring this emergency delivery now receive care by skilled medical doctors and obstetricians recruited by HealthNet TPO and State Ministry of Health. The trained midwives, support and care for mothers and babies and complications are sufficiently reducing neonatal mortality in the hospital.
Mothers and children under 5 years requiring blood transfusion are now treated in the hospital rather than being transferred to Wau Teaching hospital which is 8 hours drive away.
There has been increase in the numbers of teenage pregnancies, which are more likely to have more complications. Habiba, at only 14 years, delivered her baby weighing only 3kg. Habiba and her new-born baby were cared for by our skilled midwives and are both now healthy.
Miscarriages with retained products are now managed and neonatal babies with difficulties in breathing are resuscitated. HealthNet TPO is a life-saving agent in Raja County."
Improving health facility infrastructure
South Sudan faces a big challenge of poor infrastructure as many older buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the civil war and ongoing conflicts. Most health facilities do not have enough space dedicated to mothers and newborn babies. HealthNet TPO, with the help of the Health Pooled Fund, has improved the infrastructure of multiple health facilities across the country. In Menamba, there was no space for mothers to safely have their babies but now a maternity unit has been renovated allowing mothers to deliver safely.