El shabah children hospital is one of the health facilities supported by HEALTH Pooled Fund in South Sudan - credit | Charles Wote/Eye Radio - Nov. 6, 2021

Women leaders in Central Equatoria State are appealing for urgent support to Al Sabah Children’s Hospital as worsening conditions continue to threaten the care and survival of newborns and infants.

The facility, located in Juba, is the only paediatric hospital in South Sudan.

It provides healthcare services to thousands of children each year, most of them from low-income families who cannot afford private care.

The Central Equatoria State Women’s Union made the appeal during a visit to the hospital on Saturday.

The group expressed serious concern over what they described as “alarming conditions” at the facility. They pointed to a shortage of essential drugs, broken air conditioners, limited space, and overcrowded wards, all of which pose serious risks to the lives of vulnerable children and their mothers.

Speaking during the visit, Arab Juma Suleiman, Secretary of the Central Equatoria Women’s Council, said the situation at Al Sabah reflects the broader health crisis affecting many families in the capital.

“What we have seen here today is heartbreaking. Mothers and children are suffering due to limited space, poor ventilation, and shortages of medicine. We appreciate the commitment of the doctors and nurses who continue to work under difficult circumstances, but they need our collective support,” she said.

Flora Nicola, a women’s representative from Wanduroba, also called for immediate intervention from humanitarian agencies and child-focused organizations.

“These children are the hope of South Sudan. They deserve better. We are appealing to NGOs, especially those working in child welfare such as Save the Children and UNICEF, to come to the aid of Al Sabah Hospital,” Flora said.

The leaders urged both the national and state governments, non-governmental organizations, private companies, and philanthropists to provide urgent assistance; including medicine, equipment, and improved infrastructure; to ease the pressure on the hospital.

Hospital officials and caretakers have raised repeated concerns about poor conditions in the wards and a lack of life-saving medical equipment.

During their visit, the women’s union donated food and non-food items to lactating mothers, including sanitary pads, soap, biscuits, and sugar, as part of efforts to support the mothers before discharge.

The union reaffirmed its commitment to continue advocating for better maternal and child healthcare in the country, saying the well-being of mothers and children should remain a top national priority.