The Ministry of Health of South Sudan, the World Bank, and UNICEF have launched a communication campaign to promote the ongoing joint health initiative and raise awareness among a wide coalition of partners to improve health sector funding.
According to a popular news agency, the marketing campaign will run throughout March and across different media channels, with material on the combined health services appearing on billboards, films, and public service announcements.
In a joint statement made in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, UNICEF stated, “The communication campaign will stress the significance of several health measures, including immunization programs and the immunization against COVID-19.”
The Ministry of Health, the World Bank, and UNICEF are collaborating on a project to support COVID vaccine deployment in the country, as well as the provision of essential health services for the most vulnerable populations in two of the country’s most difficult-to-reach areas, the States of Jonglei and Upper Nile, according to the statement.
It also stated that starting Tuesday, the messages of the national communication campaign will be broadcast on radio stations and promoted on billboards and social media platforms operated by the three parties, highlighting the work done to support access to essential health services for South Sudan’s most vulnerable people.
It cautioned that avoidable ailments such as malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia are still wreaking havoc on children and women throughout the country.
Since 2018, the three parties have collaborated to undertake a World Bank-funded health sector initiative in Jonglei and Upper Nile States that delivers important maternal and child health services.
According to the UN Children’s Fund, the initiative has helped to immunize 156,991 children with the penta 3 vaccination and 153,394 children with the measles vaccine, as well as offer prenatal care to 67,956 pregnant mothers.
It also facilitated the delivery of 26,358 infants with the assistance of trained medical experts. In 2021, the initiative helped supply 587 metric tons of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to 685,000 individuals in both states, as well as soap, buckets, and water purification tablets.
