Health Facts on South Sudan

Children’s health issues:

• South Sudan has one of the highest child mortality rate in the world.
• One in five children do not live to age five.
• 42% of children under five are moderately to severely underweight.
• Only 17% of children under five are fully immunized.

Expectant Mother’s health issues:

• Maternal mortality rate: 2054/100,000 Live births (one of the highest in the world) as compared to 8 per 100,000 in the U.S.
• For every 50 children born live, one mother dies in pregnancy.
• Only 23% of expectant mothers receive antenatal care from a skilled health professional.
• 14% deliver in a health institution
• 10% are cared for by a skilled health professional
• A 15 year old girl has a greater chance of dying in childbirth than finishing school.
• Only 32% of mothers receive at least 2 doses of tetanus toxiod vaccine during pregnancy

Other health issues:

• Less than 48% have improved drinking water

• Only 6.4% of population uses sanitary means of excretion disposal
• Annual incidence of TB is 325/100,000 (among the highest in the world)
• Less than 25% have access to health care
• Major diseases: Malaria, Diarrhea, Acute Respiratory Infections, Guinea worm disease (South Sudan has 80% of global case load), and Tuberculosis.

* Data from:  Ministry of Health, Government of Southern Sudan , Basic Package on Health and Nutrition Services for  Southern Sudan, January 2009, and:  Sudanese Household Survey 2006