South Sudan

Monthly Update

December 2011- January 2012

• There has not been any new report of WPV in the Horn of Africa since the summer of 2011 in Nyanza Province, western Kenya. The last case of WPV in South Sudan was reported in June 2009 in Aweil West Province in the state of Northern Bar-El-Ghazal.
• The recent violence in the country will be a hindrance to the efforts in the polio eradication campaign if the situation is not quickly addressed. There has also been a massive influx of Sudanese refugees crossing the border into South Sudan and this has been going on for several months. Despite the measures in place to ensure that there are no medical emergencies in the camps, it is necessary to step up surveillance to prevent any outbreak of WPV. Immunization campaigns should be stepped up to cover at risk communities like refugee camps.
• On January 14, 2012 AMREF’s Country Director was killed in Juba. CGPP sent heartfelt regrets, and attended his funeral at his home in Ethiopia. 
• New outreach centers have now been established in areas including Panyume, Wadabi and Lujulo payams that were difficult to access as a result of problems with transportation. Children in these areas now have access to immunization services due to the establishment of these outreach centers with CGPP’s assistance.
• The SIA for December was held from the 11th -14th. Compared to November, the turn-out was very impressive.
• The CGPP provided three-days training for health workers and vaccinators in Lujulo and Wadabi Payams.  Training topics included: EPI target disease for South Sudan, EPI vaccine use and administration, Cold chain management, vaccine ordering and management, Vaccine preventable disease surveillance and how to summarize EPI reports. Additionally LQAS training was conducted for the CGPP S Sudan staff.
• CGPP S Sudan and World Vision welcome Dr. Justin Rubena as the CORE Group Polio Project Program Officer at the Secretariat office in Juba.

September-November 2011

• A case of WPV1 with onset of paralysis on July 30, in Nyanza province, western Kenya, remains the only case to be reported in the Horn of Africa this year.
• South Sudan last reported WPV cases in June 2009; currently, it has been free of WPV for more than 27 continuous months, with the last case reported in Aweil West County in Northern Bar-El-Ghazal state.
• Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) were conducted in Darfur during the last week in September in order to limit international spread of the virus from neighboring Chad.
• The MOH and Management Sciences for Health (MSH) supported a four-day Immunization in Practice training of trainers for 16 participants from six counties where the CGPP is being implemented (22-25 September 2011). The training was organized by CGPP- South Sudan and funded by MSH in preparation for the project’s official kick off. The participants included county coordinators hired by CGPP implementing partners and EPI supervisors from the county health departments where the grant is being implemented.

• CGPP South Sudan National Director participated in the following:
  • Cross visit to Ethiopia CGPP in almost all project sites for experience sharing and knowledge gaining. Discussions with partners, CGPP Ethiopia Staff, and important stakeholders took place along with visits with Woreda health offices and health posts.
  • Attended quarterly review meetings organized by partners,  participated in the first South Sudan EPI performance review as a member of the steering committee, conducted monthly CGPP partners coordination meetings and participated in communication for development strategy workshop organized by UNICEF.
  • Supported third round of the South Sudan National Immunization days by participating as central supervisors on behalf of the ministry of health in Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria / In collaboration with WHO trained 42 NIDs independent monitors in Upper Nile, Central  and Eastern Equatoria states / Conducted separate independent monitoring for quality control in Central, Eastern and Western Equatoria states.
  • Conducted high level orientation meetings in Eastern Equatoria and Western Equatoria states to sensitize government officials, stakeholders and other partners about CGPP operations at the state level as well as in the counties. These meetings involved state ministers, Directors Generals for Health, county medical officers, commissioners, payam administrators, WHO and UNICEF field offices, as well as other important partners.
• The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Management Sciences for Health (MSH) supported a four day Immunization in Practice training of trainers for 16 participants from six counties where the CGPP is being implemented. (22-25 September 2011) The participants included county coordinators hired by CGPP implementing partners and EPI supervisors from the county health departments where the CGPP is being implemented.

August 2011

• No new cases were reported. However, there is increased risk of viral importation from Chad, due to the refugee situation with large numbers of people living in camps, combined with weakened nutritional status due to the severe drought. With these conditions outbreak could spread easily.
• CGPP, in collaboration with Management Sciences for Health and the MOH, conducted immunization training for trainers for four days in August in Juba. Eight participants from various county health departments and eight participants from CGPP partners attended.
• The director of EPI/new vaccines approved the base line survey tools, which were already revised with the technical team from the MOH.

July 2011

• No cases have been recently reported. However, the circulation of an imported wild poliovirus is suspected to have persisted for more than 12 months. On June 27, Sudan was officially polio-free for more than 12 months, but the risk remains of undetected circulation of poliovirus as a result of sub-national surveillance gaps in some areas, including parts of southern Sudan. Recent efforts have helped to address these gaps.
• Strong and steady progress on the CGPP has been made in the area. Meetings with MoH are ongoing, specifically to secure approval to begin the baseline survey. The data collection tool has been revised and finalized with the MoH-EPI department.

May/June 2011

• On June 27, Sudan was officially polio free for more than 12 months. However, the risk for undetected circulation of the polio virus remains high as a result of sub-national surveillance gaps in the Horn of Africa particularly, Southern Sudan. Recent efforts have been made to increase surveillance of these missed areas.
• CGPP start-up activities are progressing well. CGPP would like to welcome Mr. Anthony Kasanga as the Secretariat Director for CGPP S. Sudan. Additionally, WV/ S Sudan is in process of becoming the administrative host of the CGPP secretariat. Mr. Kasanga is busy preparing office space that has been provided by the MoH, and overseeing all CGPP start-up activities as the 6 partner organizations hire staff and recruit volunteers.

January-May 2011

•  Southern Sudan reported its last case of wild poliovirus in July 2009. No supplemental immunization activities were held in Southern Sudan in January.  The next campaign is scheduled for late February.
• In January, the project dispatched a Special Advisor (the former Deputy Director of CGPP-Ethiopia) to continue coordinating start-up activities on the ground in Southern Sudan.  The project hosted a series of meetings with PVO partners and national/international stakeholders as the project works to shape the final details of project implementation, bringing project activities into full confluence with ongoing in-country polio efforts.
• Southern Sudan has not confirmed a case of wild poliovirus since June 2009.  However, confirmation that a positive environmental sample taken from Egypt in late 2010 is genetically linked to the virus circulating in Sudan in early 2009 indicates undetected circulation of the virus in the area.
• Southern Sudan held two rounds of National Immunization Days in February and March.  The CGPP’s Special Advisor in Southern Sudan provided technical support during both campaigns in Central Equatoria state together with the WHO team assigned to the area.
• A team of CGPP leadership led the partners in Juba in finalizing a Detailed Implementation Plan for activities in Southern Sudan.  Meanwhile, both the baseline survey and in-country interviews with secretariat director candidates are scheduled for May.