Sudanese Community Research Articles

The Prevalence of Cervical Neoplastic Changes Among Sudanese Community Without Settled Screening Program

Background: While cervical cancer is decreasing in most countries that have undertaken long-term screening programs, the incidence is increasing in developing nations with low resources. As a result, the current study sought to investigate the incidence of cervical neoplastic alterations in the Sudanese community in the absence of a formal screening program. Methodology: This is a descriptive longitudinal study conducted at the Obst. & Gyn. hospital in El-Obeid, North Kordofan State, Sudan, from January 2021 to December 2022. This screening involved around 120 volunteers. Results: In this study, 14% of participants had neoplastic alterations. Positive cases were highest in the 31-35 age group (29.4%), followed by 36-40 and ≤25 age groups (23.5%). The majority of positive cases (58.8%) were from metropolitan areas. The risk of neoplastic alterations is connected with urban residency; RR (95%CI) = 2.558 (1.050-6.235), P-value < 0.03. Approximately 11.1% of illiterate participants had neoplastic alterations, as did approximately 25% of those with a basic degree of education. The risk associated with a basic education level is 2.2750 (95% CI) (0.9550 to 5.4197), P = 0.0635. Conclusion: Cervical neoplastic alterations are common in northern Kordofan, yet there are few screening programs. Cervical neoplastic alterations are substantially higher in the metropolitan population.

Perceptions and Experiences of Inequity for Women of Refugee Background Having a Baby during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Melbourne, Australia.

Listening to What Matters is an exploratory descriptive qualitative study that aimed to (1) understand how women of refugee background in Melbourne, Australia experienced access to health information and maternity and/or early parenting care during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) whether pandemic health directives had an impact on structural inequities for women of refugee background who received maternity and/or early parenting care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 41 participants including 17 women of refugee background, who identified as belonging to the Karen, Assyrian Chaldean, Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan, Sudanese, or South Sudanese communities and 24 health and social care professionals who identified as providing pregnancy or early parenting care during the pandemic in the north western suburbs of Melbourne. Interviews with women were conducted in preferred languages by community researchers. Interviews with professionals were conducted in English by researchers. Reflexive thematic data analysis included constructivist positionality and a trauma and violence informed approach. The results reported in this paper include three themes, with four accompanying subthemes, as follows: theme (1), 'Structural inequities and the toll of the pandemic'; theme (2), 'Supportive infrastructure'; and theme (3), 'Cultural safety during the pandemic'. The results demonstrate that cumulative negative impacts such as unequal access to health information, family separation and isolation, inadequate household income, and mental and social health concerns had the potential to amplify pre-existing structural inequities for women of refugee background. Community engagement facilitated by bicultural workers, interpreters, and trusted care providers facilitated fast-paced, two-way communication that built capacity and health literacy for women who were unable to speak English and unfamiliar with the health care system and, improved experiences of care. More research is needed to understand how the intersectional cumulative impacts of structural inequities have affected maternal and neonatal health outcomes for women of refugee background during the pandemic, as well as any differences in maternal and neonatal health outcomes between Australian-born and refugee background women and babies.

Cultural Identity as a Determinant of Health among South Sudanese in Sydney, Australia

Background. The issue of identity has been widely explored among migrant populations in western countries in the context of cultural integrations and acculturations. However, there is less evidence on identity as a determinant of health and social wellbeing. This study reports on identity as a determinant of health among the South Sudanese community who arrived as refugees through an Australian humanitarian program in the early 2000s. Methods. A qualitative study was undertaken, underpinned by a phenomenological framework that characterised the lived experiences of adult South Sudanese in Sydney, Australia. Semistructured in-depth interviews explored how 26 participants identified themselves in Australia, including changes in their experiences over time, their social and general life situation in Australia, and how they felt perceived in Australia. Data were audio-recorded using a digital voice recorder, transcribed verbatim, coded, and categorised into themes using interpretive thematic analysis. Results. Participants described a multiplicity of interconnected domains that governed the negotiating and making sense of identity, in turn mediated by other interwoven personal and structural factors that shaped experience and perception. Expressions of hope, pride, and achievement were threaded through several of the interviews, particularly in relation to their children. There were also frustrations related to employment challenges and discrimination that limited identity ownership. Conclusions. The evolving and often conflicting factors identified by participants can shape their sense of belonging, integration, and social and mental wellbeing. A deeper, more nuanced understanding of bicultural identity within a strengths-based framework is needed, with improved partnerships and services to support and strengthen South Sudanese community integration, belonging, and acculturation in Australia.

‘My Dad Was, Is a Soldier’: Using Collaborative Poetic Inquiry to Explore Intergenerational Trauma, Resilience, and Wellbeing in the Context of Forced Migration

The topics of intergenerational trauma, resilience, and wellbeing as they relate to forced migration are receiving more attention in the arts and health literature. Yet, we know very little about how refugee-background young adults manage their psychosocial wellbeing when they grow up surrounded by stories of conflict, loss, and trauma. Achol has been writing poetry to represent and amplify the narratives of those around her (parents, family, and the South Sudanese community in Sydney, Australia). These stories are central elements of her lived experience and the diverse experiences of her community. Using collaborative poetic inquiry, this paper identifies key themes in one of her poems, My dad was, is a soldier, to illustrate how poetry is an important artistic mode of expression that can improve our understanding of intergenerational trauma, resilience, and wellbeing. Rather than conveying interview data through research poems, we place Achol’s poem at the centre of our collaborative poetic inquiry to gain new insights into refugee lived experiences. This paper contributes to contemporary debates on how artistic means enrich our knowledge of psychosocial wellbeing through trauma-informed, culturally safe, and decolonial research methods.

Strategies South Sudanese Community Church in Kibera are Employing to Evangelize South Sudanese Nubian Muslims in the Jamhuri area

Strategies South Sudanese Community Church in Kibera are Employing to Evangelize South Sudanese Nubian Muslims in the Jamhuri area

Strategies South Sudanese Community Church in Kibera are Employing to Evangelize South Sudanese Nubian Muslims in the Jamhuri area

There has been an increase in the spread of Islam globally over the years. On one end, the church missions have put considerable efforts and strategies to evangelize Muslims for leading them to Christ. However, these efforts have faced numerous challenges. It is with this background that the study investigated factors hindering Muslim evangelism by the South Sudanese Community Church (SSCC) in the Jamhuri area of Nairobi. It was established that there is a correlation between the challenges that the South Sudanese Community faces in Kenya with the decline in reaching out to Muslims with the Gospel. This paper examined the strategies used by churches in Kibera to reach out to the Muslims in Jamhuri area. The design chosen was descriptive, which enabled the researcher to do in-depth interviews. The target population was 100 participants, from which a sample of 40 was drawn. Those who participated in study thirty (30). The study’s approach to data was qualitative. The findings revealed that South Sudanese Community Church members in Jamhuri have an assumption that they are not sufficiently prepared to evangelize Muslims. Besides, there was an evident relationship between this lack of preparation Missiologicaly and evangelism ministry. The study concluded that SSCC is yet to gain a strong foundation for the Christian- Muslim relationship. Therefore, the researcher recommended that SSCC members be trained and equipped in mission, particularly in Muslim evangelism. The researcher also recommended that a similar study should be carried out in other South Sudanese and Sudanese Community Churches (SSCC) within and without Nairobi County. Finally, there is a need to strengthen the South Sudanese and Sudanese Community Churches (SSCC) leadership. Keywords: Muslims, Evangelism, South Sudanese Community

Supporting a revolution from afar: the construction of unity between generations of Sudanese exiles in France

ABSTRACT Since December 2018, Sudan has been experiencing a revolution that has engaged the large numbers of Sudanese who live abroad in a political struggle from afar. Based on a case study of the Sudanese community in France and an analysis of their long-distance support of the political upheavals from three different cities, this article assesses how times of revolution affect the sense of commonness of diasporic groups and reshape socio-political boundaries in exile. From our initial identification of two Sudanese generations in France, which we will call the elders and the youth, we assess how the collective identification process for exiles, which is initially determined by social and regional affiliations, has been affected in recent times by the outbreak of the Sudanese revolution. After presenting the two generations of Sudanese currently living in France, we show how the revolutionary context has affected their feelings of belonging and produced a temporary sense of diasporic unity. Finally, the article analyses how the stalemate in the revolutionary process during the summer of 2019 led to an erosion of this unified Sudanese consensus and resurrected political, regional, social, and generational divides, pushing the young generation to the forefront of protest from afar.

The Social and Cultural Dimensions Associated with Death in Muslim Communities, a Case Study Khartoum City

In Arab universities, sociologists rarely discuss the sociology of death. By studying social and cultural variables along with subjective and objective meanings of death, this paper contributes to filling this gap in research on death in a Sudanese urban area. Furthermore, the study examines the relationship between the burial of the dead and the time and place of their burial, social status, relatives, and religious affiliation as they relate to their burial. A major objective of the research is to explore the social and cultural dimensions of death in Sudanese communities. Data were collected using interviews and observations in the field using the descriptive method. Death is more of a social than a biological fact; therefore, the general findings of this research are about declaration of death, and what it implies about social cohesion. Burial and social acts following death are acts that express social meanings, and further, indicate how biological death has occurred. Based on variables such as social status, family relationship, and religious affiliation, it can be seen that the deceased person and/or family holds these beliefs.

“She Just Saw Me - She Didn’t Teach Me”: the perspectives of Australian Sudanese and South Sudanese youth on the student/teacher relationship in Australian schools

In recent times, young people from Australian Sudanese and South Sudanese communities have received considerable negative racialised public and political attention. This publicity has the potential to negatively shape the perspectives of other Australians, which in turn can have adverse consequences for these youth in terms of their social experiences. Against the backdrop of hegemonically ‘white’ Australian school contexts, pre-determined negative perspectives have the potential to undermine social experiences, relationships, and the overall educational inclusion of these students. This qualitative study places the voices of the participants at the centre of the research to better understand Australian Sudanese and South Sudanese youths’ perspectives on their relationships with schoolteachers. A voice-centred relational methodology (VCRM) approach was used to analyse data and to present the findings of the study. The findings suggest that student/teacher relationships as experienced by Australian Sudanese/South Sudanese youth are, for the most part, negative. It was reported that these youth experience low academic expectations from their teachers and are held to disproportionately high levels of disciplinary accountability. In many instances these findings were linked by participants to forms of racial discrimination, which have the potential to impede their educational belonging.

Intergenerational conflict among resettled South Sudanese in Australia.

South Sudanese families have faced many hardships in the process of acculturation to Australian society. This has led to rapid family breakdown amongst refugees from South Sudan who live in Melbourne, Australia, and has created tension between families, the wider South Sudanese community, and authorities. This qualitative study explores how shifting dynamics of religious faith, the concept of family and cultural values impacts South Sudanese families and young people. The study consisted of 23 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups and two feedback forums, gathering data from South Sudanese youth aged 14 to 21 years, social workers, elders and parents from the South Sudanese community. Several themes were identified including the impact of intergenerational conflict, coping with new freedoms in Australia, the associated tensions these freedoms create within the South Sudanese community, and young people's conflict with religion. The patriarchal system that underpins the family structure of the South Sudanese culture is under significant strain as women and children are becoming aware of their rights, resulting in friction between men and women, parents and children. Male elders believed the embracing of freedom by women and children was at the core of family breakdown, leading to cultural erosion, and was the root of the problems experienced by the youth. The church as a traditional meeting place and a centre point for social inclusion within the South Sudanese community remains relevant as an important factor in social networking for parents and elders but lacks relevance for many South Sudanese youth.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Community Pharmacists in Relation to Dispensing Antibiotics Without Prescription in Sudan: A Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundDispensing antibiotics without prescription (DAwP) is a widespread practice, especially in developing countries, contributing to antibiotic resistance. Community pharmacists play a significant role in promoting rational use of antibiotics by refraining from DAwP, and providing drug information to patients. This study aimed to evaluate community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude and practice, and to assess the factors behind DAwP.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 among random sample of community pharmacists in Sudan. Online semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The association between dependent and independent variables was assessed using Chi-square test; a P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsOf the 1217 pharmacists who participated, the majority were female (n = 645, 53%). Most pharmacists have a B. Pharm degree (n = 1026, 84%) and less than 5 years’ experience (n = 718, 59%). Notably, the majority of community pharmacists have good knowledge (n = 735, 61.7%), which is significantly associated with years of experience (P < 0.00). More than half (n = 623, 52.2%) of the pharmacists have above average score of practice. Nearly all the pharmacists who participated have a positive attitude in relation to DAwP (n = 1204, 98.9%). More than half of the pharmacists were DAwP for tonsillitis (n = 817, 67%), wound infection (n = 766, 62.9%), and urinary tract infection (n = 664, 54%). The leading factor behind DAwP was the low socioeconomic status of the patients (n = 624, 51%). Additionally, 47% of the pharmacists (n = 572) thought that they were knowledgeable enough to DAwP.ConclusionDespite their positive attitude and average level of knowledge regarding DAwP, Sudanese community pharmacists frequently are DAwP for tonsillitis. Low patients’ socioeconomic status was the leading factor behind DAwP. Accordingly, extensive work from health authorities to improve the accessibility and affordability of the health system as well as the development of an antibiotic stewardship program are required to diminish DAwP.

Pre-Engagement as Method: An EmbodiMapTM VR Experience to Explore Lived Experience of People from South Sudanese Refugee Background

This paper discusses the use of pre-engagement as a method to introduce EmbodiMap, a Virtual Reality (VR) tool to a group of South Sudanese refugees in Sydney, Australia. The aim of the pre-engagment is to understand how currently available support for the mental and emotional wellbeing of the refugee population can be further supported through psychosocial engagements using purposefully developed tools. The EmbodiMap tool and experience, developed by the felt Experience and Empathy Lab (fEEL) at UNSW Sydney, is a creative approach that potentially offers a transformative experience as participants virtually reach into their bodies and draw or register their immediate or persisting feelings, sensations and emotions. As an arts-based approach, EmbodiMap provides an innovative alternative to approaches that rely heavily on words, thus helping amplify the participants’ self-expression. Pre-engagement is used as a psychosocial engagement method, allowing for a small group of participants to experience EmbodiMap first-hand and engage ‘hands on’ with the technology before providing insights into how the tool may be adapted, developed, or codesigned further to facilitate a meaningful experience for use with the broader community. The pre-engagement with a small group of South Sudanese community members revealed scope for further engagement with the broader community, while adapting to the needs and issues identified.

South Sudanese Refugees in Sudan: A Transition toward a Diaspora Community

South Sudanese people shifted from being disadvantaged internally displaced people (IDPs) in Khartoum before the session of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011, toward a semi-refugee status or the ambiguous category of “returnees” after returning back to Khartoum following South Sudan’s civil wars beginning in 2013. This article argues that South Sudanese communities in Khartoum are developing many characteristics of becoming a “diasporic” and “transnationalistic” community, broadly defined. The South Sudanese diasporic community developing in Khartoum is commonly characterized by their strong feelings of anger, sadness, and disappointment over what happened to their long-awaited dreams of an independent South Sudan, and also by a strong feeling of belonging to a distinctive South Sudanese identity in Khartoum, both of which are a continuation of old South Sudanese identities developed in the shantytowns of Khartoum since the 1960s. While transnational relations and networks extend strongly between Khartoum and many different areas in South Sudan, the impact of South Sudan’s post-2011 violence and political negotiations between different warring parties has strong resonance in South Sudan’s communities in Khartoum. Moreover, the experience of being displaced after independence, back to old South Sudanese diasporic homes, has fundamentally shaped a new self-identification as diaspora and a transnational community.

Is it Sarrah Rahamah? A supervised classification model to detect fake identities on Facebook within the Sudanese community

Is it Sarrah Rahamah? A supervised classification model to detect fake identities on Facebook within the Sudanese community

Whiteness, Religious Diversity and Relational Belonging

OPEN ACCESS CC BY-NC-ND-PAID African communities in Australia reflect the rich cultural and religious diversity of the African continent. Despite their persistence and agency, many members from these communities continue to experience a ‘fractured belonging’ due to persistent issues of racism and exclusion; issues that have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Religious community groups and organizations have long played important roles in assisting new migrants with settlement and belonging in Australia, including African migrants. This article presents preliminary findings from an Australian Research Council project on religious diversity and social cohesion, drawing on census data and interviews with African-Australian community and religious leaders in Melbourne and Hobart, from Mauritian, Ghanaian, Ethiopian, Somalian and South Sudanese communities. It explores the roles that religion and spirituality play in both addressing and perpetuating issues of racism, trauma and displacement. It also examines the development of ‘relational belonging’ and diverse, complex and dynamic identities among African migrants in contemporary Australia. It argues the case for retelling the history of African migration to Australia, to subvert the myth of a white Christian nation that excludes non-white Australians. It centres African migrants’ lived experience narratives and theories of belonging developed by African scholars to counter narrow and negative stereotypes perpetuated by political and media discourses.

African Youth Gangs: The Marginalization of South Sudanese Young People in Melbourne, Australia

South Sudanese youth especially young male youth face racism and discrimination in Australia. This research was conducted with South Sudanese young people, and stakeholders within the South Sudanese community in Melbourne, Australia. The study explored how South Sudanese young people respond to the narrative in the media about ‘African Gangs’ and how this impacted their personal experiences of racism. The study used an exploratory, qualitative case study approach in a real-world setting, underpinned by the psychosocial conceptual framework. The analysis documented areas of concern, including the poor mental health arising from racism and racial profiling.

Sudanese Refugees and the “Syrian Refugee Response” in Lebanon: Racialised Hierarchies, Processes of Invisibilisation, and Resistance

Abstract By focusing on Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers in Lebanon, who in 2018 constituted 4 per cent of all persons of concern to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in that country, this article explores how the UNHCR protects and assists refugees not encompassed by the mainstream humanitarian response. The article finds that in terms of refugee recognition, resettlement, and overall protection, Sudanese refugees receive differential treatment when compared with the more dominant refugee groups. More precisely, it argues that the humanitarian practices contribute to structural processes of invisibilisation of the particularities of the protection concerns and circumstances of Sudanese refugees. It spotlights how, while racism and racial discrimination remain major protection concerns for the Sudanese community in Lebanon, humanitarian vulnerability assessments are altogether blind to these categories of harm. In examining how Sudanese refugees respond to and resist such processes of invisibilisation, the article also examines two key collective action approaches through which Sudanese refugees seek to access better protection and assistance: the establishment of representative refugee committees, on the one hand, and refugee protest, on the other. It finds that refugee protest was an important means of countering humanitarian processes of invisibilisation.

Knowledge and perceptions around self-management of type 2 diabetes among a Sudanese community in Australia: A qualitative study.

People from Sudanese background are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as compared to the general population. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of migrants from Sudan to Australia. However, there is a dearth of research exploring the perceptions and experiences of self-management strategies for diabetes among this migrant Sudanese population residing in Australia. This study aims to explore these experiences and perceptions as well as to identify cultural aspects related to T2D self-management strategies for people from this migrant group. A qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews with Sudanese participants (n=12) living with T2D was conducted in Melbourne, Australia. The thematic analysis found barriers to self-management of diabetes to include language differences, the burden of self-management, difficulties in accommodating traditional dietary practices in self-management, as well as the expectations of familial and social obligations. Enablers included positive relationships with health professionals, support networks, involvement in religion and adopting traditional remedies. This study found cultural considerations, such as incorporating traditional dietary practices and familial obligations into self-management, to be the most significant influence for this group of Sudanese participants in the way they managed their diabetes. This study highlights the need for culturally appropriate provision of health services and resources for Sudanese people with T2D while recognising the value placed on traditional food choices. Importantly, the collectivist Sudanese culture must be considered for any future development and implementation of health promotion strategies.

Current and future clinical research in Sudan: an opportunity for everyone to choose research in medical education, communicable and non-communicable diseases

Sudan is a country with huge natural resources and this may provide a potential for a rich and diverse health research economy especially in medicine. It is important that both basic and applied medical research will be directed and prioritized according to the need of Sudanese communities based on experiments tested in the lab and can be implemented in bedside practice. This can help in facing the health challenges associated with communicable and non-communicable disease. Research in medical education is also needed especially with an increase in the numbers of medical schools. Research for everyone involved in medical education and practice should be adopted as a way forward in Sudan. In other words, research engaged medical force will improve the medical care in Sudan. For instance, doctors can develop expertise, deep learning in their specialties and enhance their chance of developing theories and proposal (satisfy the need for doctors inquiring minds). University hospitals and patients will benefit from recent advancements in medicine in term of diagnostic and treatment. Importantly, research is bringing satisfaction, dynamism and opportunity for doctors to leave a legacy for the next generations of doctors in Sudan. During the pandemic of COVID-19, it is clear that more research is needed in Sudan. Importantly, diabetes, obesity and hypertension are known to have a high prevalence in Sudan and also risk factors for COVID-19. This is a challenging time for the health system in Sudan, and perhaps investing in research will help in keeping people well and open new venues for health service in Sudan. We very much hope that this article will increase understanding and enthusiasm about research in communicable, non-communicable diseases, medical education and social medicine. Therefore, we feel that every doctor in Sudan should engage in research activities so that current and future patients can benefit from the outcomes of these research activities. © Journal of Public Health and Emergency. All rights reserved.

The role of sport in coping and resilience amongst resettled South Sudanese youth in Australia.

In this article, the use of sport as a coping strategy by South Sudanese youth who have suffered the trauma of forced migration is examined. This article explores the relationship that has emerged between the young people and sport, in particular basketball, and how they use their participation in basketball and sports to cope with the stressors of their lives. The research intended to explore to what degree sport can play in improving mental health and what mental health interventions, in general, were being sought by this marginalized demographic. This qualitative study was underpinned by the psychosocial conceptual framework. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 23 South Sudanese youth aged 14-21 years, we also conducted focus groups of 11 South Sudanese elders and parents. The results of this research were feed back to the wider South Sudanese community through two forums. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of the study identified sport as an important coping strategy for the participants, both as a diversion from drug and alcohol misuse, potential criminal activity and as a way to self-manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression they were experiencing, and a mechanism to enhance self-worth. The study also indicated there was a lack of mental health interventions for these young people and that they had shown a great deal of resilience to develop their own ways to deal with the trauma they had experienced. The research reported positive associations of wellbeing and participation in sport, however more research needs to be conducted to ascertain the extent to which sport impacts mental health and how this can be incorporated into interventions for Sudanese youth and young people from similar forced migration and resettlement backgrounds. This study suggested that sport can be a driving force of good for many of the young people's lives, worthy of further research.