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PSI/Sudan
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Program
Focus: |
HIV/AIDS, malaria, child survival |
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Target
Regions: |
Bahr-El-Ghazal and equatorial regions
in southern Sudan (malaria prevention)
Western Equatoria, Mvolo, Mundri, Tambura Counties (HIV/AIDS
Awareness & Prevention) |
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Target
Population: |
HIV/AIDS: High risk sexually active population. Malaria: pregnant
women, parents of children under five, and children under five
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| 2006 Estimated Health Impact (first
nine months): |
Episodes of malaria averted: 112,000 (explained) |
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| Products: |
Serena long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets
Serena Dumuria long-lasting insecticidal mosquito
nets |
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Local
Collaboration: |
PSI/Sudan works in close
collaboration with the Ministry of Health of South Sudan, UNICEF
and Roll Back Malaria partners active in South Sudan.
PSI/Sudan also works in conjunction with the New Sudan National
AIDS Council and a wide range of national and community based
organizations in its project counties. |
|
Current
Donors: |
British Department for International
Development (DFID)
John Snow International
U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) |
|
| Year Program Began: |
2005 |
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Project Activities and Highlights
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HIV/AIDS |
| • |
Behavior Change Communication (BCC)
In response to the low level of HIV/AIDS awareness in South
Sudan coupled with the increasing estimates of HIV prevalence,
PSI launched the HIV/AIDS Integrated Behavior Change Program in
Southern Sudan in April 2005. The project currently covers three
counties: Mvolo, Mundri and Tambura.
PSI/Sudan’s BCC activities include:
• Completion of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge and community
needs assessments in project counties
• Training of 80 peer educators in the 3 project counties (PSI
HIV/AIDS program staff trained 47 trainees, who then went on to
train an additional 33 peer educators)
• Completion of over 30 outreach activities, including peer education
awareness sessions using multiple forms of educational entertainment,
speeches at public events, and mobilization of community leaders
and decision-makers.
• PSI organized the first ever World AIDS Day celebration with
community leaders in Mvolo County and developed and distributed
a range of World AIDS Day materials for partners in other project
counties.
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| • |
Break the Silence
PSI/Sudan, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health of South Sudan and
community partners, developed an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, “Break
the Silence”, which includes comprehensive and dynamic print and audio
communications materials. The communications campaign materials incorporate
feedback and comments from a wide range of partners and stakeholders
including the Ministry of Health and local community members. |
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Malaria |
| • |
Long Lasting Insecticide Net (LLIN)
PSI's objective in southern Sudan is to ensure that all vulnerable
populations, and in particular pregnant women and children under
five, have access to LLINs. In order to achieve this objective,
PSI will support the distribution of LLINs through ante-natal clinics,
partner NGOs and community based organizations, and through the
commercial sector where appropriate and necessitated by the situation
on the ground. In general, PSI's distribution strategy in southern
Sudan is flexible and collaborative in order to maximize the resources
of all actors and ensure the highest degree of coverage for vulnerable
populations in this challenging setting. |
| • |
PSI works closely with partners, including the Ministry of Health
of South Sudan, UNICEF and community based organizations to conduct
an intensive communication campaign to increase demand for and
promote proper use of LLINs. The campaign will use a variety
of media channels and will address key knowledge and attitudinal
constraints to malaria prevention and LLIN use. |
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| Water/Child Survival |
| • |
Safe Drinking Water to Reduce Childhood Illnesses
In 2006, PSI/Sudan introduced WaterGuard, a chlorine-based household water treatment tablet to ensure access to safe drinking water in South Sudan. This point-of-use treatment tablet rapidly dissolves in water and kills micro-organisms that cause diarrhea.
Strategies include reaching people living with HIV/AIDS, communities affected by cholera outbreaks and floods, and sustainable access through subsidized distribution at commercial outlets. |
| • |
Partnerships and Capacity Building
In 2007, PSI conducted trainings with churches, schools and vendors on the correct use of WaterGuard tablets, safe water handling and storage, and proper hand washing techniques. Efforts in 2008 will expand to include health care workers, patients at health care facilities, members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, and women’s associations.
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| • |
Subsidized Distribution
WaterGuard is distributed and promoted through commercial retailers, community based non-profit organizations, and health care facilities. Communications campaigns are an important part of the WaterGuard program. Attractive, informative posters demonstrating how to use WaterGuard will be distributed to vendors in 2008, and radio spots and programs will educate and inform the public. |
| • |
Emergency Response
PSI Sudan continues to collaborate with the Government of Southern Sudan Ministry of Health and partners on the inter-agency Cholera Prevention and Preparedness Working Group to coordinate responses to outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea and cholera. Due to limited sources of clean water and latrines, cholera is endemic in Southern Sudan.
In 2006, PSI provided 535,000 tablets of WaterGuard to non-governmental organizations responding to cholera outbreaks and floods. These tablets provided 10.7 million liters of clean drinking water. |
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|
 |
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Key messages are demonstrated on World AIDS
Day materials such as the t-shirt shown above.
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Local infrastructure in southern Sudan is minimal,
leaving merchants to sell sorely needed pharmaceuticals from
makeshift huts. |
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