Dr. Modong Manuela Mogga, a representative from the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), speaking during a presentation on maternal and child health at Juba Teaching Hospital on Friday, December 13, 2024. – Photo courtesy of JTH

The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) has committed to enhancing the power and water supply at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Juba Teaching Hospital, in response to urgent concerns regarding the health and safety of mothers and children.

Speaking on Friday, December 13, in Juba during a presentation on maternal and child health at Juba Teaching Hospital, Dr. Modong Manuela Mogga, a representative from AMREF, emphasized the urgent need to improve essential services at the hospital.

This followed a report by the President of the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of South Sudan, Dr. Malel, who highlighted some of the major challenges facing the department at Juba Teaching Hospital.

According to Dr. Malel, South Sudan has the highest rates of maternal and child mortality in the region, with 1,223 mothers dying every year per 100,000 women.

He said that this alarming figure highlights the urgent need for investment in Juba Teaching Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which is essential for improving maternal health across the country.

“We have a very high maternal mortality rate in this country. Our mothers are dying. Within the region itself, South Sudan is the highest country with a high maternal mortality rate,” Dr Malel stated.

“We start right now at 1,223 mothers per 100,000 women dying annually. That is a very big number. If you visit our neighbours, Uganda, Kenya, and other neighbouring countries, they are not even into half of what we have in South Sudan,” he said.

“I’m bringing this to your attention to know that if we don’t invest in Juba Teaching Hospital, the Department of Septic and Gynecology, it will be very high for us to reduce this high maternal mortality rate because the department is representing the whole South Sudan,” he said.

In response to maternal and child health concerns, Dr Manuela stated that her organization will work to improve the infrastructure of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Juba Teaching Hospital.

According to her, AMREF will improve the power and water supply system, aiming to better support the women who rely on these healthcare services.

She emphasized that AMREF plans to enhance its efforts in 2025, ensuring that the existing infrastructure is fully equipped to meet the needs of patients.

“Moving on, we’ve also tried our level best and we want to enhance in 2025 to ensure that we go full board, running around at our level best to ensure that we’re able to strengthen the infrastructure that is there, to ensure that whatever infrastructure that is there in terms of power, water, can ensure that we’re able to support the women that come to the department,” Dr Mogga stated.

“Not forgetting a very important component that we must support, that we’ve tried this year and we want to enhance in the coming years, is the issue of data and research. As most of you know, these days when you tend to speak, people want to see evidence, people want to see data,” she said.

“Our vision back next 2025 is to ensure that how do we make the department that we’re supporting currently data-centric, to be able to speak from a point of data, to lobby, to captivate the community, everyone out there in terms of understanding what we’re doing in the department.”