Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF South Sudan

Home
South Sudan
Juba
Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF South Sudan

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent medical humanitarian organization. We operate in seven states and two administrative areas.
(1)

Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. MSF has been present in what is today South Sudan since 1983 and remains one of the largest medical humanitarian agencies in the country. In 2025, MSF provided more than 830,000 outpatient consultations, inpatient care for over 93,000 patients, including 12,000 surgeries, screened 107,000 chil

dren for malnutrition, and performed critical referrals across the country. Our teams provide a range of services including general healthcare, mental healthcare and specialist hospital care. Our mobile teams also provide health assistance to displaced people. In addition to responding to emergencies and disease outbreaks, we also carry out preventative activities, such as vaccination campaigns, seasonal malaria chemo-prevention, safe drinking water and non-food items distribution. MSF offer medical and humanitarian assistance to people based on their needs - irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. We observe neutrality in situations of conflict, and impartiality in the name of medical ethics.

17/08/2026

MSF and Ministry of Health completes the second round of multi-antigen vaccination campaign in Awerial County

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, our teams in Awerial County, Lakes State, have completed the second round of a Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunization (PIRI) multi-antigen catch-up vaccination campaign, bringing lifesaving vaccines closer to children.

The campaign was carried out in two rounds, with the first taking place from 4 to 16 June 2026 and the second from the 20 to 30 July 2026. The initiative targeted children under five years of age (0-59 months) who had missed routine vaccinations or had never been vaccinated.

In many parts of Awerial County, families live far away from health facilities where vaccines are routinely available. Long walking distances, transport costs, seasonal flooding and limited infrastructure are all contributing factors that prevent mothers from having their children vaccinated and on time. To help overcome these barriers, MSF and Ministry of Health vaccination teams established temporary vaccination sites closer to communities across the Puluk Payam communities in Awerial County.

Across both rounds, 9,377 children were vaccinated across nine vaccination sites providing protection against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). The second round allowed children to continue their vaccination schedules while also reaching additional children who had not previously received vaccines.

The catch-up campaign complemented routine vaccination services provided through Ministry of Health facilities and helped ensure that children living in remote communities were not left behind because of distance or other barriers to accessing healthcare.

Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect children from serious and potentially life-threatening preventable diseases as well as reduces the risk of outbreaks within communities.

15/08/2026

Therapeutic milk.
Three tablets for malaria.
Ready-to-use therapeutic food.
A packet of oral rehydration salts.

If these treatment commodities could talk, what stories would they tell?

One might tell the story of a child recovering from malaria after just a few days of treatment. Another might tell you about helping replace fluids lost to diarrhoea. The others might tell you how they support children with malnutrition begin their journey back to recovery.

They may look simple but these items help treat common but potentially life-threatening conditions. For patients and their families, they represent more than medicine or nutrition. They offer the possibility of recovery.

Across South Sudan, MSF supports hospitals, health centres, primary healthcare facilities, and runs mobile clinics to help ensure essential treatments reach people wherever they are needed. These supplies are used in facilities including Renk Civil Hospital and Malakal Teaching Hospital in the Upper Nile State, Bentiu Civil Hospital in Unity State, Abyei Hospital in the Abyei Special Administrative Area, Mundari County Hospital in Kajo Keji and Pieri Health Facility in Jonglei State, as well as in mobile clinics serving remote and hard-to-reach communities.

Reaching these locations is not always easy. Many facilities are separated by long distances, seasonal flooding, poor roads, insecurity, or limited infrastructure. Yet ensuring that essential medicines and nutritional products reach each patient remains a critical part of MSF’s work in South Sudan.

Lifesaving care is not only about doctors and nurses. It is also about having the right treatment available when a patient arrives for care. Every can, tablet, packet and sachet help save lives and with every treatment sent is a person waiting for the chance to recover.

13/08/2026

The long journey to healthcare for the women of Aweil

In Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan, the collapse of primary healthcare services is forcing more people to seek care at Aweil State Hospital, the only secondary hospital serving a population of 1.4 million people.

With two-thirds of primary healthcare facilities now closed due to global funding cuts, women are traveling for hours, and sometimes days, to reach lifesaving medical care. Many arrive after difficult journeys while heavily pregnant, carrying sick children, or already facing life-threatening complications.

The consequences are visible every day in our wards. Babies with treatable illnesses are arriving severely malnourished. Women are reaching the hospital too late after missing antenatal care or skilled support during pregnancy and childbirth.

In the first half of 2026, MSF teams at Aweil State Hospital recorded:

📈 30% increase in neonatal admissions compared to the same period last year.
📈 36% increase in complicated deliveries compared to 2025
📈 90% increase in new admissions to the Intensive Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) compared to last year.

Healthcare gaps mean longer journeys, delayed treatment, and fewer opportunities for people to get the care they need.

Read more here: https://msf.or.ke/news-and-resources/news/long-journey-healthcare-women-aweil

11/08/2026

“Data has a voice. When it is done well, it speaks for itself.”

Leek Gatdiet Riak has spent more than four years with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a Medical Data Processing Officer. He began his journey with MSF in Bentiu, Unity State, and now supports a multi-antigen vaccination campaign in Minkaman, Awerial County, where he helps transform information collected in the field into insights that guide the response.

For Riak, every number collected during a vaccination campaign represents more than just data. It tells the story of a community, helps teams make lifesaving decisions, and strengthens the response to health emergencies.

"We turn the data we are collecting into information,” says Riak. “That information becomes the guide that helps us understand the specific needs within the communities.”

Working closely with the Ministry of Health, Riak reviews report from vaccination teams, verifies information, and analyzes trends. His work helps MSF understand vaccination coverage, identify gaps, and adapt activities to better reach children and families.

During vaccination campaigns, data can reveal challenges, highlight areas where community awareness needs to be strengthened, and inform planning for future activities.

“Without data, people cannot make the right decisions,” Riak explains. “If we vaccinate children without collecting the necessary information, we may not know whether we have reached our targets, whether supplies are sufficient, or what challenges still need to be addressed.”

Ensuring accuracy is one of the most demanding aspects of his role.

“Sometimes reports arrive incomplete, and sometimes there are errors,” says Riak. “There is a golden rule in data: we cannot change or add anything. One wrong entry can affect the entire picture.”

The role often requires long hours spent cleaning, validating, and analyzing information. Riak expresses these efforts are essential as accurate data directly influences the quality and effectiveness of MSF's support to communities.

Having worked in data management for more than a decade, Riak believes one of the most powerful aspects of his work is its ability to make communities visible.

“What is happening here in Minkaman can be seen by people far away through data,” he says. “Many people may never visit this community or see the work being done here, but through data they can understand the needs, the challenges, and the impact of the response.”

For Riak, this is why data matters.

“Data has a voice. When it is done well, it speaks for itself,” says Riak.

Behind every vaccination campaign, there are dedicated people helping ensure that communities are not just counted but understood. Through the dedication of our teams, this starts with making sure every number reflects the communities, their needs, and the impact of the care being delivered.

07/08/2026

World Breastfeeding Week: A Strong Start for Every Child

From 1 to 7 August, MSF teams join communities around the world in marking World Breastfeeding Week with the theme “Breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life: strengthen what works.”

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to prevent a child from getting sick from the very beginning. For the first six months of a child’s life, breast milk provides all the nutrition and hydration a baby needs, while also helping protect them against illnesses such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections.

Throughout this week, MSF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Renk County, Upper Nile State, are conducting awareness and sensitization activities on the importance of breastfeeding. These sessions are taking place at the Renk Civil Hospital and in mobile clinic locations across Tebek, Bangdit and Tabeldia communities, aiming to reach mothers, fathers, caregivers, healthcare workers and community members.

The key messages of the campaign include:

🤱Breast milk is the best food for newborns and infants. Babies should receive only breast milk during their first six months of life.

👶After six months, breastfeeding should continue alongside nutritious, age-appropriate foods until the child is two years old or beyond.

👪Fathers and family members play an important role in supporting breastfeeding mothers by helping with household responsibilities, ensuring mothers get enough rest and creating a caring and supportive environment.

💧 Good hygiene practices and access to safe drinking water are essential for keeping children healthy.

“We are sensitizing the fathers and caregivers as well because breastfeeding is not only the mother’s responsivity,” says Amissi Djuma Alfred, MSF health promotion manager in Renk County. “When mothers receive the right support from the people around them, they are able to breastfeed successfully.”

Breastfeeding is not only about nutrition. It also strengthens the bond between mother and child, supports healthy growth and development, and gives children a great start.

To mark the week, MSF health promotion teams, midwives, nurses, mental health staff, outreach teams, community health workers, Ministry of Health staff and Boma Health Workers will be sharing information, answering questions and encouraging safe breastfeeding practices.

06/08/2026

Healthcare facilities should never be targets

Since the beginning of 2025, attacks on healthcare in South Sudan have intensified, disrupting essential medical services and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without access to lifesaving care. For communities already facing the effects of conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, and limited basic services, the loss of healthcare can have devastating consequences.

During her recent visit to South Sudan, MSF Secretary General Laura Leyser witnessed firsthand the growing humanitarian needs facing communities across the country. She saw communities living with inadequate access to healthcare, clean water and sanitation, while medical teams continue to respond to violence-related injuries and other urgent health needs.

In this video, Leyser reflects on her visit: the challenges confronting patients and healthcare workers, and why the protection of medical facilities, patients, and healthcare staff must remain a priority.

Attacks on healthcare deny people their right to seek care safely. They deepen suffering, increase preventable deaths, and make it harder for humanitarian organizations like MSF to reach those who need assistance most.

Violence should never be normalized. Healthcare workers, patients, hospitals, and health centres must be protected.

03/08/2026

Meet Daniel Keer, MSF's health promotion supervisor in Minkaman, Awerial County.

For the past 10 years, Daniel has worked with MSF in different public health roles, driven by a simple motivation: supporting his community. He believes that health promotion is not just sharing information, but it’s about listening, building trust, and supporting families to make informed decisions about their health.

As MSF teams conduct the second round of a multi-antigen catch-up vaccination campaign in Awerial County, Daniel works with communities to ensure parents and caregivers know when, where, and why these services are available.

From developing key messages to working closely with community leaders and families, Daniel believes that meaningful change starts with awareness.

30/07/2026

🩸 Bringing blood transfusions to the bedsides in Chuil

On 4 July 2026, Chuil primary healthcare centre (PHCC) in Nyirol County, Jonglei State, supported by MSF, successfully carried out its first-ever direct blood transfusion, marking a significant milestone in the delivery of emergency care and bringing lifesaving treatment closer to communities.

The first patient to benefit from the new service was a person with a gunshot wound who had suffered severe blood loss. With the support of a family donor, the patient received a direct blood transfusion at Chuil PHCC, recovered successfully, and was later discharged.

In the past, patients requiring urgent blood transfusions often faced a referral journey of approximately five hours by boat to Malakal town. For people experiencing severe bleeding or life-threatening anaemia, every minute spent waiting for treatment can have serious consequences. The introduction of direct blood transfusion services means that critically ill patients can now receive essential treatment within their own community, reducing delays and improving their chances of recovery.

“The introduction of direct blood transfusion services is especially important during malaria season, when severe malaria can cause life-threatening anaemia, particularly among children under five and pregnant women,” says Roselyn Morales, MSF medical coordinator. “In remote health facilities without blood storage capacity, direct blood transfusion may be the only lifesaving intervention available to rapidly treat severe anaemia and prevent deaths.”

Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the service was made possible through the establishment of a dedicated space for donor screening and blood collection, strengthened laboratory capacity, provision of essential equipment, supplies and extensive staff training.

A total of 37 healthcare workers, including laboratory staff, doctors, nurses, midwives, and clinical officers, were trained to provide the service. In addition, 12 health promotion staff received training on blood donation awareness and community engagement. The direct blood transfusion approach also prioritizes family donors and community volunteers when needed, while public awareness of the vital role blood donation plays in emergency preparedness is promoted in the communities.

This new capability will help healthcare workers respond to a range of life-threatening emergencies, including severe bleeding during or after pregnancy, severe anaemia in children and pregnant women, major blood loss from injuries, serious bleeding in the stomach or intestines, and shock caused by heavy bleeding.

Chuil PHCC serves approximately 15,000 to 20,000 people, including both host communities and internally displaced people. The facility provides a comprehensive range of services, including inpatient and emergency care, maternity and paediatric services, nutrition support, mental health care, and referral services.

When every minute counts, bringing lifesaving care closer to patients can make all the difference.

28/07/2026

MSF Secretary General visits South Sudan

MSF Secretary General Laura Leyser is currently visiting South Sudan, including MSF’s project in Bentiu, where she is meeting with patients and frontline staff to gain firsthand insight into the humanitarian and healthcare context of the country.

For more than 40 years, MSF has provided medical care in the region of South Sudan. Today, the country hosts one of MSF’s largest operations worldwide, with teams working across 18 locations in six states and two administrative areas in the country.

During her visit, Laura is witnessing how MSF teams continue to respond to some of the country’s most pressing health needs, including conflict-related injuries, malaria, cholera, maternal healthcare, and emergency medical crises.

“While visiting the north of this beautiful country, I have been shocked by the conditions people are enduring; camps without adequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation, or nutrition,” says Leyser. “And it is these conditions that also cause regular cholera outbreaks that our teams are currently responding to.”

In 2025 alone, MSF teams provided more than 540,000 outpatient consultations, treated over 202,000 people for malaria, supported nearly 20,000 safe deliveries, and admitted more than 66,000 patients to our facilities.

27/07/2026

🩺Three Rounds, One Goal: Protecting Children from Preventable Diseases in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

A multi-antigen vaccination campaign has recently been completed across Aweil West County and Aweil Centre County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, reaching children in communities such as Alok town and helping protect thousands against preventable diseases.

With three rounds carried out between May and July, 234,761 vaccine doses were administered to children, strengthening protection against malaria, measles, rotavirus, and pneumonia. While the first-round targeted children under two years of age, the second and third rounds were expanded to include children under five in response to a measles outbreak and to protect as many children as possible against malaria ahead of the rainy season.

Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to prevent childhood illness and death, particularly in areas where access to primary healthcare is limited.

"The expansion of routine vaccination in the covered areas is a good effort towards preventing some of the main causes of mortality among children under five years of age," says Denis Mbae, MSF project coordinator in Aweil. "This is especially important amidst reducing access to primary healthcare in the region."

The campaign demonstrates the impact of coordinated preventive healthcare efforts; reaching children across Aweil West and Centre County with lifesaving vaccines and strengthening community resilience against seasonal disease outbreaks.

Address

Juba

Website

http://www.msf.org/south-sudan

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF South Sudan posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF South Sudan:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Juba?