Sudan recently emerged from a 21-year civil war, which cost the lives of around two million people.

In January 2005 a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the Government of Sudan and the rebel group, Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement.

Over the next few years more than four million people displaced by the war are expected to return to southern Sudan.

HelpAge International began working in southern Sudan in 1998, to support war-affected, displaced older people and their families in Juba and surrounding villages. This programme has since been extended to reach more isolated areas in the region.

To prepare for the anticipated large number of returnees from other parts of Sudan and neighbouring countries, HelpAge International’s one-year project, supported by ECHO, has been providing support to war-affected vulnerable groups and returnees.

Aim

The project aimed to increase access to community-based health and nutrition services for the most vulnerable people in southern Sudan, including returnees and with a particular focus on the needs of older people.

Activities

The project supported over 50,000 people in 35 communities in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei States.

Working through a network of 65 older people’s committees, community workers ensured that the most vulnerable older people were identified and supported. Some of the activities carried out include:

• A mobile health clinic to reach isolated areas and provide basic primary health care.
• A basic package of primary health care training, including training on geriatrics for Ministry of Health staff.
• Mobile camps to provide diagnosis and treatment of eye complaints.
• Providing food to malnourished older people.
• Raising awareness of the common causes of illness and death.
• Vulnerability screening of returnees and older people, and provision of relief items to the most vulnerable.

Achievements

• Over 2,500 patients have been treated by the mobile health clinic.
• 51 Ministry of Health staff received training in primary health care and geriatrics. Staff included medical assistants, certified nurses, clinical officers, community health workers and environmental officers. Discrimination against older people has been significantly reduced. Clinics and hospitals are now aware of the particular medicines required to treat older people and make an effort to obtain them.
• More than 1,600 patients were treated for eye complaints such as cataracts, trachoma and glaucoma.
• 115 older people were supported through the supplementary feeding programme.
• More than 13,000 people were surveyed for the vulnerability assessment. Over 11,000 of these received items such as cooking pots, blankets, soap and mosquito nets.

The future

After 21 years of civil war, the infrastructure of south Sudan is very weak. There is a lack of basic services for those currently living in the area, and for the four million displaced people planning to return.

Over the next year HelpAge International will help to strengthen health services through the construction and rehabilitation of eight health centres which will benefit around 75,000 people in Central Equatoria State.