Photo Credit|Courtesy

South Sudan has recorded a neonatal mortality rate of 35 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare services, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The findings are contained in a new analytical factsheet released by WHO South Sudan, which highlights persistent challenges in skilled birth attendance and newborn survival despite ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health across the country.

Published under the Knowledge Management Series for Health, the report draws on data from the 2025 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2), national reports, and other sources to assess newborn health trends, health system readiness, and service delivery.

The report shows that 54 percent of births were attended by skilled health personnel based on the 2025 MICS household survey. However, routine health facility data from DHIS2 recorded a significantly lower skilled birth attendance rate of 19.5 percent.

It also reveals that only 36 percent of pregnant women completed at least four antenatal care visits (ANC4+), while the country’s Caesarean section rate stands at just 2 percent, well below the WHO-recommended minimum benchmark of 5 percent.

Data at State Level

The data show a strong relationship between skilled birth attendance and newborn survival. Abyei Administrative Area, where 87% of births are attended by skilled health personnel, records the lowest neonatal mortality rate of 18 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Similarly, Western Bahr el Ghazal has 78% skilled birth attendance and a neonatal mortality rate of 22 per 1,000 live births.

By contrast, Warrap records only 41% skilled birth attendance and a neonatal mortality rate of 30 per 1,000 live births, while Jonglei has 32% skilled birth attendance and 35 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births.

 At National Level

Nationally, 54% of births are attended by skilled health personnel, but only 36% of pregnant women complete at least four antenatal care visits, underscoring the need to expand maternal healthcare services to reduce preventable newborn deaths.

WHO emphasizes that 84 percent of neonatal deaths are preventable through low-cost interventions such as clean birth practices and kangaroo mother care, which promotes skin-to-skin contact between mothers and newborns.

The organization further highlights that areas with higher rates of skilled birth attendance consistently record lower neonatal mortality rates in South Sudan.

WHO says the findings expose critical gaps in maternal and newborn healthcare and underscore the need for increased investment in skilled birth attendance, expanded antenatal care coverage, and improved access to emergency obstetric services to reduce preventable newborn deaths across South Sudan.