South Sudan

IntraHealth International, a Global Communities partner, works with the government of South Sudan and local organizations to provide high-quality HIV/AIDS services to prevent HIV transmission, ensure viral suppression, and reduce AIDS-related deaths.

Since 2006, Global Communities partner IntraHealth International has worked with the government and local organizations in South Sudan to improve access to health services amid conflict, a refugee crisis, and disease outbreaks. Our programs have provided high-quality HIV/AIDS services; increased access to modern contraceptives; and strengthened the health system by improving data quality and use, addressing the country’s shortage of health workers, and developing the capacity of local partners to implement and sustain programs.

Currently, IntraHealth implements the Advancing HIV & AIDS Epidemic Control Activity, a critical program providing comprehensive HIV services to prevent HIV transmission, help ensure HIV viral suppression, and reduce AIDS-related deaths.  Since 2009, through AHEC and other programs led by IntraHealth, over 650,000 people in South Sudan have been provided with HIV counseling and testing services.

Current Programs

Sudan, May 2009. ARV distribution office at the Nimule Hospital where Intrahealth works in conjunctions with Merlin.

Advancing HIV & AIDS Epidemic Control (AHEC)

Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), AHEC works with the Ministry of Health to train health workers and community outreach volunteers to adapt evidence-based HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions and strengthen local capacity and resilience to deliver comprehensive HIV/AIDS services, including free antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV.

Through a layered approach with local organizations and PEPFAR implementing partners, the South Sudanese government, and local communities, the program focuses on the general public as well as on key populations, including female sex workers, to raise awareness of HIV; promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other prevention methods; and identify people who are HIV positive, enroll them in ART, and support adherence to maximize HIV viral suppression.

The focus on key populations not only reduces AIDS-related deaths but also further reduces HIV transmission of the virus.

Previous Programs

Sudan, May 2009. The Nimule Hospital where Intrahealth works in conjunctions with Merlin.

Strengthening National Capacity for Integrated HIV/AIDS Health Data Collection, Use, and Dissemination in Support of an Evidence-Based Response in South Sudan

Funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with PEPFAR support, this project (2017-2022) built the Ministry of Health’s capacity to generate, gather, disseminate, and use integrated, high-quality information about HIV services and needs to inform evidence-based HIV programming and strategic planning.

The project established and conducted routine surveillance to track HIV prevalence among pregnant women and key populations, which enabled the ministry to better respond to HIV service needs when and where they arose. IntraHealth worked alongside the ministry to establish the nation’s health information system architecture, which elevated HIV service monitoring from a nascent, primarily paper-based system to a fully electronic health information system operating at scale across the country. This included supporting a weekly and monthly dashboard to provide real-time data to PEPFAR partners for improved HIV care and treatment services at clinics. When COVID-19 began to spread, the project helped develop the nation’s preparedness and response plan and design

Sudan, May 2009. Nurse Betty Ajio Buku gives a sex education class to women at the Saint Bakhita Health Centre in Yei. Before checkups the woman must attend the classes which focus on family planning and HIV prevention and testing.. Before checkups the woman must attend the classes which focus on family planning and HIV prevention and testing.

USAID Strengthened Reproductive Health for Key Populations

This USAID-funded activity improved access to services and the quality of care and treatment for members of key populations, including female sex workers, who are known to be at high risk of HIV.

Implemented initially through the USAID LINKAGES and Evidence to Action (E2A) projects, the initiative provided targeted HIV services at the community level and linked female sex workers to facilities for various services, including HIV testing and treatment. The project reached 4,000+ female sex workers with HIV interventions.

Sudan, May 2009. Nurse at the Nimule Hospital where Intrahealth works in conjunctions with Merlin.

USAID Accelerating Quality Family Planning Access and Use in South Sudan

Through the USAID LINKAGES and E2A projects, IntraHealth worked with partners to improve access to family planning services. In 2018, we implemented a dedicated family planning provider model, which addressed the shortage of health workers and helped increase service access and acceptance.

Over 18,000 clients received family planning methods resulting in 20,000+ years of protection from unwanted pregnancies for couples through contraceptives. IntraHealth also developed the first-ever national family planning curriculum with the Ministry of Health.

IntraHealth past programs (selected)

  • Accelerating Support to Advanced Local Partners (ASAP II) (USAID), 2022-2024
  • Scale-Up HIV Prevention, Care & Treatment (CDC), 2015-2020
  • 4Children (USAID), 2014-2019
  • Strategic Information I (CDC), 2012-2016
  • Preventing & Reducing Impact of HIV (CDC), 2009-2014
  • DOD HIV Prevention Program (US Dept. of Defense), 2012-2013
  • HIV Prevention & Awareness among Uniformed Cadres (UNHCR), 2008-2009
  • Reducing Impact of HIV (CDC), 2006-2009
  • Capacity Project (USAID), 2004-2009