State Of South Sudan Research Articles

Causes of Armed Ethnic Conf licts and their Implications on Security Management in Malakal Town, Upper Nile State, South Sudan

This paper analyzes the causes of armed ethnic conflicts in Malakal Town, Upper Nile State of South Sudan. The study identified several factors driving ethnic violence in the region, including ethnic conflicts, politically driven disputes, land ownership issues, revenge attacks, cattle rustling, and dowry-related tensions. It further revealed that political influence, marginalization, poverty, cultural practices, poor governance, and the arms trade play a significant role in perpetuating these conflicts. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and security agencies, emphasizing the importance of addressing underlying causes to promote long-term peace and stability in the area.

Interests of IGAD Member States in the South Sudan Peace Process, 2013- 2023

Three civil wars have been witnessed in South Sudan. The first Sudanese Civil war began in 1955 pitting troops from the Central government of Sudan and the Southern Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) rebels. This war ended after the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972. The second war began in 1983 and ended in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between. A referendum in 2011 overwhelmingly voted for the independent state of South Sudan. Two years (2013) after the birth of the South Sudan nation a third civil war erupted. The civil war pitted former Vice-President Dr Riek Machar against the government of President Salva Kirr of South Sudan. The humanitarian crisis and abuse of human rights associated with the civil conflict prompted the international community through regional powers to intervene and restore stability in South Sudan. The war in South Sudan has persisted despite the efforts by IGAD and other players in the peace process. This study this study examines the interests of IGAD member states in the South Sudan peace process between 2013 and 2023. Anchored on the realism theory of international relations this study argued that interests of IGAD member states has tended to slow down the peace process in South Sudan between 2013 and 2023. This study 1takes the form of an explanatory research1design. Purposive and snow balling sampling techniques were used to identify 410 respondents for field interviews. The study purposively identified 385 South Sudanese refugees in Nairobi. A total of 25 other respondents who included; representatives of the warring factions in South Sudan residing in Kenya, IGAD officials, EAC officials and Diplomats from IGAD member states were also interviewed. This study noted that in as much as different players have significantly contributed to the peace process; interveners’ interests have tended to slow down the peace process in South Sudan.

The Impact of Institutional Capacity on Public Performance in Upper Nile State, South Sudan

Purpose: This study explored the critical relationship between institutional capacity and public performance in the context of Upper Nile State of South Sudan, focusing on the central role of the state in public governance and sustainable development.
 Methodology: Through an extensive review of the literature, this study highlights the challenges facing public institutions and highlights the transformative potential of institutional capacity building. The purpose of this study was to reveal the complex relationship between institutional capacity and public performance in Upper Nile State, highlighting the role of institutional strengthening in improving public service delivery and overall governance. The research methods used included an in-depth literature search, providing a comprehensive review of research materials.
 Findings: The findings highlight the critical role of institutional capacity building in addressing governance challenges in Upper Nile State. Strong institutions not only improve the efficiency of service delivery, but also promote transparency, accountability and responsiveness to public needs. Good governance, effective leadership and alignment with the broader goals of good governance highlight the importance of institutional capacity building. This research helps us understand how to overcome governance challenges and improve public performance, with a particular focus on institutional capacity. The study highlights the intrinsic link between a country's governance environment and the strength of its institutions, revealing gaps in institutional capacity such as human resources, financial management, governance structures and infrastructure. These shortcomings have led to suboptimal public services, limiting access to services, creating inefficiencies and corruption, all of which have a direct impact on the well-being of the state's citizens. Furthermore, the study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive institutional strengthening efforts in Upper Nile State, including investment in human resources, financial management reforms and improved governance structures. This focus on institutional capacity is essential to address governance challenges, improve public services and contribute to a prosperous future for the people of Upper Nile State.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Furthermore, this study bridges the gap between theory and practical recommendations. It aligns the theory of institutional capacity with concrete results and shows how strengthening institutional capacity can solve identified management problems. This resource provides policy makers and practitioners with a practical road map to improve governance and public service delivery in Upper Nile State and continue to build strong and capable institutions to empower the people of the state. It emphasizes the importance of national and international efforts.

South Sudan and the cultural politics of East Africa

South Sudan joined the East African Community (EAC), a regional economic and political organization in 2016. It 2011, it became the newest nation-state in the world when it seceded from Sudan. As a result, the new state of South Sudan is at a crossroads of multiple processes of unification and fragmentation. I analyze this moment of accession as one characterized by both substantive practices of political institution-building and intimate ideas about cultural belonging. In this context, a trans-border cultural imagination has become entangled with technocratic expertise committed to harmonious regional integration. The process of accession represents a broader socio-political formation that contains ideas about family, the colonial legacy, cultural continuity, and geopolitical relationships that are primarily narrated and experienced as transnational. Regional integration has therefore become a site of desire, frustration, futurity, and the production of normative ideals. To address these intersecting processes and ideas, the author develops region-craft and geopolitical intimacy to make sense of how they take shape on multiple scales of social and political life. The broader stakes of this process are making sense of the unequal dynamics of power that I argue emerge as intra-African discourses of asymmetrical competency and paternalism.

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The study examined the effect of corruption on service delivery in local governments, a case study of health service delivery in Magwi County-Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan. Specifically, study examined the level of corruption in health service delivery Magwi County-Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan; assessed the quality of health service delivery in Magwi County-Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan; and established the effect of corruption on health service delivery in Magwi County-Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan. The study used descriptive research design. The study population was 75 where a sample of 63 respondents was selected using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. The study used both self-administered questionnaire and interview guide. Findings revealed that, it is a common practice in public facilities to first cash in individual healthcare providers to receive treatment, money intended for healthcare services is embezzled, there is high rates of favoritism where family members, relatives and friends receive the treatment first before others, people pay bribes to receive treatment in public health facilities, and healthcare providers sell public drugs to individual drug shops. It is concluded that corruption is the reason why public investment in health coupled with high rates of private spending has not translated into good health outcomes. The study recommends an establishment of an independent system to supervise delivery of services as this will help reduce corrupt tendencies. Furthermore, GoSS should develop a political will to fight and reduce corruption in Local government and all sphere of public institutions.

Nodding Syndrome: Clinical Characteristics, Risks Factors, Access to Treatment, and Perceptions in the Greater Mundri Area, South Sudan

We conducted a house-to-house survey in the Mundri, Western Equatoria state of South Sudan to investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors, access to treatment and perceptions about nodding syndrome (NS). In total, 224 NS cases with median age of seizure onset of 10 years were identified. Head nodding only was reported in 50 (22.3%) cases, and head nodding plus other types of seizures in 174 (77.7%) cases. Wasting, stunted growth, delayed sexual development and speech and behavioral abnormalities were observed in 17 (23.6%), 16 (22.2%), 9 (17.3%), 14 (19.4%) and 4 (5.6%) cases, respectively. The consumption of rat meat, but not other bushmeat was associated with an increased risk of NS (OR 9.31, 95% CI 1.27-406.51). Children with NS were more likely to have taken ivermectin in the last 5 years (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.33-4.43). NS cases were less likely to share a bedroom with other children (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02-0.16) or adults (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.13-0.56). In conclusion, rat meat consumption is an unlikely risk factor for NS, and ivermectin intake was more common among NS cases than controls. Importantly, we documented that children with NS are stigmatized because of the misconception that NS is transmitted through direct contact.

Factors influencing severity of recurrent malaria in a conflict-affected state of South Sudan: an unmatched case-control study

BackgroundThe burden of malaria remains the highest in sub-Saharan Africa and South Sudan is not an exception. The country has borne the brunt of years of chronic warfare and remains endemic of malaria, with increasing mortality and morbidity. Limited data still exists on factors influencing the recurrence of severe malaria, especially in emergency contexts such as South Sudan, affected by various conflicts and humanitarian situations. This study therefore aimed to investigate factors influencing severity of occurrence malaria in selected primary healthcare centres in South Sudan. This would assist and guide in malaria prevention, treatment, and eradication efforts.MethodsWe conducted an unmatched case-control study using routinely collected clinic data for individuals aged 1 year and above who received a diagnosis of severe malaria at 3 primary healthcare centres (PHCC); Malual Bab PHCC, Matangai PHCC and Malek PHCC between September 15, 2019 to December 15, 2019 in South Sudan. Patient characteristics were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics were also conducted to identify the associated factors influencing recurrence of severe malaria. All analyses were conducted using R Version 3.6.2.ResultsA total of 289 recurrent malaria cases were included in this study. More than half of the participants were female. Overall, the prevalence of severe recurrent malaria was 66.1% (191) while 74.4% (215) did not complete malaria treatment. Among those who did not complete malaria treatment, 76.7% (165) had severe recurrent malaria, while among those who completed malaria treatment 35.1% (26) had severe recurrent malaria (p < 0.001). There is a significant association between marital status (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19–0.56, p < 0.001), employment status (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14–0.87, p = 0.024), the use of preventive measures (OR 3.82, 95% CI 1.81–8.43, p < 0.001) and nutrition status (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.13–0.37, p < 0.001). When adjusted for employment, marital status, nutritional and prevention measures in turns using Mantel–Haenszel test of association, this effect remained statistically significant.ConclusionsOur study showed that there is a high prevalence of severe recurrent malaria in South Sudan and that a significant relationship exists between severe recurrent malaria and antimalarial treatment dosage completion influenced by certain personal and social factors such as marital status, employment status, the use of preventive measures and nutrition status. Findings from our study would be useful for effective response to control and prevent malaria in endemic areas of South Sudan.

Are children on track with their routine immunization schedule in a fragile and protracted conflict state of South Sudan? A community-based cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to assess if children aged 0–23 months in a conflict-affected state of South Sudan were on track with their immunization schedule and to identify predisposing factors that affected this study population from being on track with their routine immunization schedule.DesignCommunity-based cross-sectional study using a semi-structured questionnaire. The binary outcome of interest was defined as being on or off track with routine vaccination schedule. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze for the association between the predisposing factors surveyed and being off track with one’s routine immunization schedule.SettingRural communities in four counties (Rumbek Center, Rumbek North, Rumbek East and Wulu) of the Western Lakes state in South Sudan during January 10, 2020 to June 10, 2020.ParticipantsWe surveyed 428 children aged 0–23 months and their mothers/caregivers who lived in either of the four counties in the Western Lakes State. Participants were selected using random ballot sampling.ResultsMore than three-quarters of the children surveyed (75.5%) were off track with their vaccination schedule. Children with an immunization card had 71% reduced odds of being off track with their immunization (AOR = 0.29; 95% CI 0.10–0.83, p-value = 0.021) compared to children without immunization cards. Children who reside near health facilities and do not require transportation to facilities had 87% reduced odds of being off track with their immunization compared to those who lived far and required transport to facilities. Giving an adequate immunization notice before conducting immunization outreach visits to communities was also associated with reduced odds (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI 0.09–0.78. p-value = 0.016) of children being off track with their immunization.ConclusionThis study revealed that most children were off track with their vaccination schedule in South Sudan, which is not only influenced by maternal characteristics but mainly by community- and state-level immunization service delivery mechanisms. Policies and interventions to improve child immunization uptake should prioritize these contextual characteristics.

The Process for Provision of Humanitarian Aid and Sustainable Peace and Development in Central Equatorial and the Other States in South Sudan: Post 2005 to 2020

Humanitarian aid aims to mitigate the suffering of people, alleviate poverty, and lay a firm foundation for sustainable peace and development. This research paper aims to assess the impact of humanitarian aid in two counties of Central Equatoria State of South Sudan. The provision of humanitarian aid is one of the pillars in the process of peace-building. Understanding the provision of humanitarian aid helps assess the impact of humanitarian activities on post-conflict communities. It contributes to understanding the practical process of peace-building to prevent a resumption of conflict in post-conflict communities. The outbreak of intra-conflict in December 2013 in Juba shows that the process of peace-building was not effective. A qualitative method was applied for data collection and analysis. Primary data was gathered through in-depth interviews of key informants, including selected community leaders, civil society organizations, national and international non-governmental organizations, staff of UN agencies, and key national and state officials. Stratified purposive interviews were conducted in Juba and Kajokeji Counties. Two focus group discussions were held in Juba and the other in Kajokeji. Secondary data from various academic and policy institutions were used to supplement the primary data. The data were analyzed using methods of ethnography and discourse interpretation, observation, and interaction. Coordinating the processes of recovery and development requires humanitarian principles. Development partners, host communities, policymakers, and others underestimated the challenges in delivering humanitarian aid. The democratic system that the national government of South Sudan advocated was not based on principles of good governance and on the engagement of civil society organizations, which are the custodian of the social contract between the citizen and the national government. The process for the provision of humanitarian aid did not relieve much suffering in communities. It contributed less effective effort to the process of peace-building to prevent the reoccurrence of conflict in Central Equatoria and the other states of South Sudan. The process would require the practice of good governance.

THE IMPLICATION OF STATE FORMATION ON STATE INSTITUTIONS IN INDEPENDENT SOUTH SUDAN

State formation as a process at the international level has aroused interest and controversy among scholars of the African state and states elsewhere. While the states outside Africa have been shown as having gone through a different course of formation many still believe that the state in Africa especially Sub-Saharan Africa had not experienced the process which the state in Europe and elsewhere had gone through. What is interesting is that many scholars from outside Africa want to study the African state from the time of colonialism as if Africa had no past before European colonialism. This therefore many times leads to concern for many who want to study the state in Africa before colonialism where some authors depict pre-colonial Africa as having no form of polity but quasi or decentralized societies with no form of statehood. This part of history is ignored and therefore it becomes hard to explain the consequences of the way the state was formed in form of institutions formed, conflict and security. The people of South Sudan have historically known more war than peace because of the institutions that were formed during colonial times and later bequeathed to post-colonial leaders. South Sudanese believe now that they are their own nation; it’s time to teach people how to build strong institutions which can protect the citizens and their state through indigenous institutions and constitution. Currently, the institutions in South Sudan are weak, wrecked by corruption and Nepotism. The people in these institutions do not see themselves as belonging to one state where everyone should have equal rights and most importantly, these institutions are a threat to human and national security of the state of South Sudan. This scenario cannot be explained minus the history of the colonial impact over Sudan where South Sudan was a part. The colonialists could not build indigenous institutions, they were not concerned with democracy and a constitution, but built a ruthless army against the indigenous Sudanese including those in southern Sudan who later seceded to form the new state of South Sudan. The breakaway of South Sudan is an interesting area of how states in Africa were formed and the institutions that have become a liability to South Sudan which can be explained by the state formation process which needs to be investigated.

English

Conflicts in Africa are increasingly becoming violent and endemic. Many of these conflicts are related to crises of identities, struggles for resources and power contestations. A few of these conflicts escalate to self-determination, separatist movements, and secession. These conflicts mostly transcend national borders and trigger the alteration and redesigning of national borders, which itself becomes a source of continued violent conflicts across borders. For instance, the attainment of independence by South-Sudan in 2013 has raised hope in achieving peace and stability after one of the prolonged civil wars in Africa. Nevertheless, the new state of South Sudan has turned to a devil&rsquo;s domain. The internal conflicts in South Sudan have further aggravated the tensions in the region; in addition to the border disputes with&nbsp;Sudan. After the three years of political independence from Sudan, there is still no agreement over the 2,010-km border that divides the two nations. This paper thus examines the nature of border disputes between Sudan and South Sudan and the extent to which the border conflict influences the dynamics of internal conflicts in South Sudan and the implications for peace and stability in the region. &nbsp; Key words: Independence, border, conflict, violence.

The Effect of Disputes and Conflict Resolution on Organizational Performance: In South Sudan

The study investigated the effect of disputes with a particular reference to C state in South Sudan. The objectives of the study were to; examine the Relationship between the effect of dispute and conflict resolution in South Sudan, assess the indicators of effect of disputes in South Sudan and to examine the relationship between conflict resolution and organization performance in south Sudan. The descriptive design using a case study of Jonglei state and both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The study population was 182. Sampling technique was purposive and simple random. The Sample size was 55 respondents from the employees and beneficiaries of Equatorial State in South Sudan and Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis option of SPSS version (20.0). The major findings of the study were that there is a significant positive correlation between; effect of disputes and organization performance (r = 0.632, P-value &lt; 0.01), conflict resolution and organizational performances (r = 0.512, P-value &lt; 0.01) and the attributes explained 59% of the variance of effect of disputes (R Square =.518) as the level to which they can predict the level of organization performance in Jonglei State of South Sudan. Such that unit change in effect disputes processeswill contribute to a change in the possibility of organization by (.581) while a one unit change in Conflict resolution and effect of disputes will contribute to a change in the organization performance sinjonglei State and other states of South Sudan (343). The study recommends that the State and Country leaders should develop foreign relations with other international communities that aim at empowering people with education values and promoting an electoral process that serves the purpose of national renewal and peace commitment, need to make more use of an integrated application of litigation, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and traditional justice systems in the management of natural resource conflicts and alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms such as negotiation, fact finding facilitation and mediation should be adopted since they have the potential to enhance environmental justice since they allow parties to enjoy autonomy over the process and outcome; they are expeditious, cost-effective, flexible and employ non-complex procedures.

What can be done about adolescent pregnancy in South Sudan?

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines ‘adolescents’ as individuals aged 10-19 years. The national family planning policy of South Sudan states that “by the age of 19, one out of three girls is already married or in union; and the same proportion has already started childbearing”. The causes of adolescent pregnancy can be attributed to social, cultural, political and health systems gaps.Objective: This review article looks at the contributory factors for adolescent pregnancy in South Sudan, the effects of these pregnancies and describes some solutions and recommendations.Method: A direct search was conducted in Google scholar and other search engines looking at titles such as teenage/adolescent pregnancy in South Sudan, adolescent pregnancy in Africa, effects of adolescent pregnancy, and interventions to combat teenage/adolescent pregnancy.Results: The contributory factors for adolescent pregnancy in South Sudan are sociocultural where the need for dowries, forced and arranged marriages, gender based violence are examples, economic and political factors; where poor implementation or inadequate adolescent policies, illiteracy and poverty are major factors, failure of health systems; where the unavailability of health services such as the provision of contraceptives for adolescents and scarcity of teenager/adolescent-friendly health clinics; and individual factors whereadolescents reported desire to be mothers, societal recognition and peer pressure. In addition to all of these, rape and sexual slavery are reported as causes of adolescent pregnancy.Conclusions: Causes of adolescent pregnancy in South Sudan are multifactorial. The country needs to adopt the published guidelines from WHO on reduction of adolescent pregnancy and learn from experiences of countries that showed a greater reduction. The utilization of interventions made through research and evidence-based information which are suitable to South Sudan context are crucial.

Ethno medical knowledge and traditional use of Aristolochia bracteolata Lam. for malaria among local communities in Jubek State of South Sudan: A cross-sectional survey

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe recognized challenges to access conventional antimalarial medicines could have contributed to the extensive use of Aristolochia bracteolata Lam. (Aristolochiaceae)to manage malaria in South Sudan traditionally. However, the use and acquired experiences are notwell documented. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to document the traditional use of A. bracteolata for malaria treatment and experiences among the local communities in Jubek State of South Sudan. MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study in four counties in Jubek State and interviewed 396 community members, including traditional healers, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Four focused group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted using the interviewer guide. The inclusion criteria were; adults 18 years and older, men andwomen participants, at least one year residing in the study area before the study, and those with a history of medicinal plant use. Data were summarized and presented as proportions. Qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic content approach. The major themes that emerged were discussed. We applied the Pearson Chi-Square test at α = 0.05 to test the study's significant differences in responses. The statistical package for social sciences version 21 software was used for data analysis. ResultsWomen accounted for 208 (52.5%) of participants, with the majority 321 (81.1%) were between 18 and 45 years. Interestingly, most 312 (78.8%) had formal education. Moreover, about 208 (52.5%) participants collect the plant in their vicinity, where leaves were the most commonly used part 277 (46.4%), followed by the roots, seeds, and stems at 245(41.0%), 71 (11.9%), and 4 (0.7%), respectively. Furthermore, about 63 (15.9%) of the participants experienced side effects, including early abortions, heartburns, sweating, and stomach discomforts. Conversely, a total of 387 (96.0%) reported getting cured of malaria. Generally, the quantity of medicine taken per day differs concerning parts of the plant, with leaves ranging from 1 to 10 pieces, roots at 0.4–1 g, and seeds at 0.1–0.5 g. The locals used these plant parts to prepare infusion and decoction traditional dosage forms for oral use. ConclusionThe documented medicinal plant's therapeutic uses provided critical information on the traditional use of A. bracteolata by the community in Jubek state of South Sudan to treat malaria. Although most users reported getting cured of malaria, a notable proportion of them experienced side effects, including early-stage abortion and stomach discomforts. Thus, the use of A. bracteolata preparations, particularly in pregnant women, should be avoided. Finally, further studies are needed to devise a strategy to neutralize the toxic compounds and create community awareness on best practices to minimize side effects.

Sudan and South Sudan: an unamicable political divorce

ABSTRACT South Sudan became a juridical state in July 2011. Its statehood materialised after protracted north-south civil wars were brought to an end by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The CPA set forth self-rule for an interim period and a referendum on independence for the South Sudanese in January 2011. While the two states split peacefully, post-separation relations between the Sudans has been complicated. This paper explores the unamicable political divorce of South Sudan from Sudan. It examines the key post-separation issues that have remained sources of contention and conflict between the Sudans. Based on a qualitative approach, and primary and secondary sources of data, the paper argues that border claims over Abyei and Heglig/Panthou, the politics of oil, mutual subversion, historical grievances, and internal political dynamics continue to drag the two countries into conflict. It argues that because of their importance to the socio-economic and political vitality to both states, border claims and oil remain particularly important in shaping relations between the Sudans. Unless managed properly, based on a win-win approach, the divergence on outstanding issues will exacerbate state building challenges in the world’s newest state of South Sudan.

It Is Not Yet ‘Uhuru’: Overcoming the Challenges of Citizenship and Nationality Questions in Post-Separation Sudan and South Sudan

This paper focuses on the nationality and citizenship crisis in post-separation Sudan. The paper argues that the unresolved issues in the agreement, especially the issue of nationality and citizenship are serious threats to the stability of the new state of South Sudan. Both North Sudan and South Sudan have demonstrated a lack of political will to resolve the nationality and citizenship problem. This explains why they were not able to adopt a common legal framework that will help to address the age-long problem instead of each adopting new nationality laws. The paper adopts the historical and institutional-legalistic approach in the discourse to situate the problem. It argues therefore, that the citizenship problem will continue in a system that is stratified along ethnic/racial and religious lines as epitomized in Sudan. We conclude that it is the resolution of outstanding issues of nationality and citizenship question that will help to sharpen the pattern of state-ethnic relations in the separated countries of north and south Sudan. With independence granted to Southern Sudan, the crisis of citizenship remains both in the north and the south.

The State Building of South Sudan: From Civil War to Independence and Back to Conflict

South Sudan gaining independence in July 2011 became a great relief for the Southerners ending a long period of marginalization dating back to the 19th century. Things would however not go as expected as exclusion, nepotism, patron-client relations, rule by law and grand corruption would be the most infectious ailments that immediately affected the country. SPLM's failure to unite the country resulted in conflict on December 15th, 2013. A peace accord in 2015 brings back to Juba former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar as First Vice President. It took only two months into the implementation and fighting erupts again in the presidential palace when President Salva Kiir was meeting his two Vice Presidents. The aftermath of this conflict is a country more divided, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in numbers and a blurred vision of where the state of South Sudan is headed. Past dreams are replaced by personal, Big Man gains in terms of positions among the top leadership and greed has become the creed. The question on the lips of every South Sudanese is, how can the country be transformed from a proto-state that operates under neo-patrimonialism to a modern state with functional institutions?

The future of the political system in the State of Southern Sudan

The political system in the young state of South Sudan, which was founded in 2011, is characterized by changes in the reality of the state in general and the political institutions formed for this system in particular. These variables include obstructive challenges and support factors for its continuation, which are distributed in the internal and external environment. In accordance with its mechanism of dealing with it by reducing the negative impacts of the challenges and exploiting opportunities for support factors.

An Analysis of Internal Efficiency in Primary School Education in Western Equatoria State of South Sudan Between 2009 and 2013

An Analysis of Internal Efficiency in Primary School Education in Western Equatoria State of South Sudan Between 2009 and 2013

Factors Contributing to Missed Opportunities and Incomplete Vaccination of Children: A Focus on Mothers in Rumbek Centre County of Lakes State South Sudan

Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) have been proven to be easily mitigated among the infants/children if the target population is effectively mobilized to receive the vaccines especially at the appropriate ages. The role played by mothers/guides in ensuring their wards get vaccinated appropriately cannot be over-emphasized. Their knowledge and attitude towards immunization can either promote or retard the possibility for missed opportunity and incomplete vaccination of this vulnerable and helpless population. The main objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude of the mothers/guides and to determine the predicting factors contributing to the missed opportunities and incomplete vaccination in Rumbek Centre County Lakes State of South Sudan. The study was carried out at the Rumbek State Hospital and Matangai Primary Health Care Centre, both in Rumbek Centre County of Lakes State in South Sudan. A descriptive cross sectional study of mothers/guides attending immunization clinics of both health units was carried out. Inclusion of participants was done by simple random sampling. Data was obtained through the use of structured, self-administered questionnaire. Summated scores were used to grade respondents’ knowledge and attitude towards immunization. Data analysis was done using the Statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21. Data were presented using descriptive statistics of frequencies, percentages, and pie charts. Inferential statistics of Chi-square was used to test for associations between various socio-demographic variables and the knowledge and attitude of mothers/guides towards immunization. A considerably high proportion of mothers/guides (72.1%) have good knowledge on immunization with 27.9% of them having poor knowledge on immunization. Slightly above average (52.9%) of the mothers/guides have good attitude towards immunization while a fairly large proportion (47.1%) of them have poor attitude towards immunization. Marital status, level of education, occupation and number of children were all found to have statistically significantly associated (P<0.05) with the mothers’/guides’ knowledge on immunization. This study further revealed that Marital status, religion, level of education and occupation have statistical significant association (P<0.05) with the attitudes of the mothers/guides towards immunization. Vaccination compliance analysis in this study revealed a downward trend along the various vaccines/indicators based on age and vaccines received by each respondent’s child. Among the suggested recommendations include improved immunization health education for mothers/guides, training and re-training of vaccinators/health workers, effective tracking of defaulters and concerted efforts towards lasting peace in South Sudan.