South Sudan: Alarming spike in admissions of children with malaria at Aweil state hospital

“While efforts have been made to replenish supplies in health clinics in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal over recent weeks, the delays have cost lives and, with the malaria season not yet over, many more children are going to become sick and end up in the hospital unless urgent action is taken to improve people’s access to simple treatment,” Mustapha explains.

“In the past week, we have added even more beds in the hospital to try and reduce congestion in the corridors, and we’ve opened a seventh test and treatment centre that operates 24/7,” says Mustapha. “But far more test and treatment centres are needed in the most at-risk communities so that children can be treated on the spot before their condition deteriorates and hospital treatment becomes the only option that will make it possible to save their lives.”

This year, South Sudan received its first doses of the R21 malaria vaccine, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against the disease. MSF is supporting the Ministry of Health in the rollout of this vaccine, and we are hopeful that with increased coverage it will make a significant impact in helping to control the disease in the years to come.