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How health care has changed lives in Kapoeta North County

I recently returned to Kapoeta North county in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state to see the impact of our work increasing the numbers of community health workers and primary health clinics.

But now thanks to a growing awareness among mums of the services of the community health workers and the primary health clinics that Save the Children has supported in the area, more children are surviving.

Save the Children nurse in the Nutrition Stabilisation Centre, Joseph Oringa, gives an injection of medication for 2 year old baby Larot, who is severly malnourished. Riwoto PHCC, Kapoeta North County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan.
Save the Children nurse, Joseph Oringa, in a nutrition stabilisation centre gives an injection of medication for 2 year old baby Larot, who is severly malnourished.

When I visited Paringa Boma (village/parish), mothers express their happiness that they now have the drugs near them when their daughters get sick they can easily walk to their community health worker and get treatment within their boma.

This has brought a big difference to this friendly community where both children and adults whom I came across cannot miss to wave and say ‘mata’ (how are you) in the Toposa language.    

“My daughter has been sick with malaria, and I went to the health worker here in my boma. She gave me some drugs. Even the small one is sick, and I have been giving them both drugs for the last five days,” Said Maria, a mother of four, who lives in Naronyit Boma.

Mother Adele Nacheroi with her youngest son Nyabai, 3 years old, who is suffering from malaria. Adele sought treatment for Nyabai with her Community Health Worker (CBD), Keno, who conveniently lives in her Boma. Adele has 10 children ranging from ages 20 years old to 2 months. Nyidua Boma, Kapoeta North County, East Equatoria State, South Sudan.
Mother Adele Nacheroi with her youngest son Nyabai, 3 years old, who is suffering from malaria. Adele sought treatment for Nyabai with her Community Health Worker, Keno, who conveniently lives in her Boma. Adele has 10 children ranging from ages 20 years old to 2 months.

“Now I am feeling ok because we have a health worker near us here in the Naronyit. When my children get sick, I don’t have to walk a far distance to get their treatment,” said Maria.

I was impressed to see that the Toposa community that I left three years ago has rapidly changed there is a growing awareness in the health and education issues and the quality of life is changing due to availability of health services.

And as the services near them are free, the small money and sorghum they used to pay for the services of traditional healers to get treatment is save for improving the nutrition of their children instead.

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