MCHIP South Sudan FY12 Q3 Report

The program's goal was to contribute to significant reductions in maternal and child mortality and progress toward Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. In Project Year 1, USAID/Sudan supported MCHIP to continue work started under the predecessor project, IMMUNIZATIONbasics. MCHIP's program objectives included building capacity for family planning and reproductive health, strengthening human resources, disseminating national EPI policies, and supporting a national, multi-partner EPI review. Key activities under Objective 1 included drafting the Family Planning Policy, convening a Technical Working Group (TWG) to review the policy, and organizing a regional summit of experts on the use of Misoprostol. Under Objective 2, MCHIP continued to offer technical assistance to the HIV/AIDS Division of the Ministry of Health. Key activities included compiling a five-year workplan with quantified expected immediate results for all activities, reviewing antiretroviral patients monitoring and reporting tools, and revising data collection and reporting tools. MCHIP also assisted in the preparation, data collection, and management of a survey on mapping and size estimation of female sex workers in South Sudan. The survey aimed to estimate the number of people involved in high-risk activities, identify various locales where high-risk activity takes place, and prepare a detailed profile of these locales. In addition, MCHIP assisted in data compilation for a CDC team conducting an Epi-Aid Investigation on High HIV Prevalence in Western Equatoria State. The study aimed to describe the epidemiology of HIV infection, identify risk factors for high HIV prevalence, and provide recommendations to state and national health officials. Objective 3, to disseminate the national EPI policies and support a national, multi-partner EPI review, was completed in Quarter 1. Objective 4, to support a program for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage, included key activities such as developing a technical working group (TWG) for PPH prevention, finalizing implementation plans, and training trainers for Home Health Promoters. The Way Forward for MCHIP included working with various partners to print, launch, and disseminate the RH policy and strategy, reviewing and updating the Family Planning technical guidelines, and advocating with state stakeholders for sustained commodity security and sustainability.