South Sudan

Project Goals:

To improve the quality of and access to professional health care services by imparting the necessary skills through a three-year diploma program in either nursing or midwifery at the first College of Nursing and Midwifery in South Sudan accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Juba University that offers a diploma of Registered Nursing and Midwifery Status.

Project Objectives:

Provide model courses in Registered Nursing and Registered Midwifery in the first National Health Training Diploma Institute in South Sudan

Provide a curriculum recognized by all ministries associated with education in the GOSS

Provide leading edge skills laboratory and library for the students

Provide improved clinical setting for student training

Provide highly qualified instructors and tutors for the duration of the three year program

Provide an unprecedented model of health care sector capacity building for South Sudan

Provide a sustainable solution to South Sudan’s Maternal and Infant Mortality Rate, the former, which is the highest in the world at 2,054/100,000 as per the 2006 South Sudan Household Survey.  Approximately 200,000 women die each year giving birth.    

Summary of RMF/WCF-sponsored activities carried out during the reporting period:

Implemented activities in-line with RMF sponsored activities and project objectives include:

Support to the Ministry of Health, Republic of South Sudan and project partners in the coordination and implementation of project activities over the reporting period. Also in line with the approved college annual work plan.

Continued facilitation of inter-linkages with UNFPA, MOH and other stakeholders in ensuring quality assurance in the implementation of both nursing and midwifery curricula in the diploma programme.

Contribution of essential content by college tutors in the review of the draft diploma midwifery curriculum which will be later finalized and endorsed by the Ministry of Health for use by all Diploma National Health Institutes.

Continued education and assessment of nursing and midwifery students

Procurement of college books, teaching and learning aids, office and skills laboratory equipment

Payment of teaching and administrative staff salaries at JCONAM

Holding of meetings attended by project partners

Recruitment and selection of 2012 intake for JCONAM

Transportation of students to their states at the end of the year

Results and/or accomplishments achieved during this reporting period:

Both nursing and midwifery students successfully sat for their final assessment in December marking the end of the first year. Midwifery students also sat for their first assessment in ‘Management of a Pregnant Woman’.

The college tutors in collaboration with the Ministry of Health developed the ‘Clinical Evaluation Questionnaire’ that students use to evaluate their clinical mentors and instructors.

The College project received a donation of books, laptops and skills laboratory equipment from UNFPA in December. The college has not yet received lockable cupboards for the storage of books in the library and equipment in the skills laboratory.

The college recruited one additional tutor under the International United Nations Volunteer (IUNV) Programme. The tutor will report to the college in January 2012. The college will now have a total of 4 IUNV tutors, one national tutor and the Principal. UNDP will also support the college in 2012 with 2 national tutors and one international tutor.

The college has regularly held monthly partner and Board meetings during the fourth quarter. In the last meeting held in November, the College Board approved the first draft of the constitution and committee documents. They further agreed for the document to be forwarded to RMF and MOH lawyer for review and the comments to be compiled in the next meeting in January 2012.

During the reporting period, UNDP completed the construction of the hostel facility at the Juba Teaching Hospital. The structure is comprised of three floors; the ground floor has the kitchen and mess hall, female students are accommodated on the first floor and male students on the second floor. The new structure will be handed over by UNDP to the MOH in January of 2012.

UNDP has procured furniture for the hostel facility, books and skills laboratory equipment to be used by the students.

Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sponsored construction and renovations of the classroom blocks are currently ongoing and will be completed in February 2012. In addition, JICA will furnish all four classes and procure a generator to compliment the hospital power supply.

In December the MOH successfully carried out a nationwide recruitment process for all levels of nurses, midwives, clinical officers, laboratory technicians and medical officers.

JCONAM is scheduled to admit 30 nurses and 30 midwives in January of 2012.

At the end of the college calendar, RMF funds were utilized to transport both nursing and midwifery students from Juba to their respective states in South Sudan. Some states are quite far from Juba others taking up to 2 days for travel. Therefore students residing in distant states were booked on flights with the assistance of the World Food Programme.

If applicable, plans for next reporting period:

Development of 2012 Annual Work Plan and Budget

Admission of 2012 intake of nurses and midwives

Continued education of nurses and midwives

Donation of furniture, books and skills laboratory equipment by UNDP

Provision and management of accommodation facilities to first and second year students

Provision of required uniforms, stationery, equipment, teaching and learning aids for the first quarter

Recruitment of additional college staff such as clinical instructors, librarian, finance and administration officer, cleaners and security guards

Support to UNDP on the recruitment of one international tutor and one national tutor for JCONAM

Completion of construction and renovation by JICA

Donation of furniture and generator for classroom blocks by JICA

Success story(s) highlighting project impact:

Out of the over 1,400 applications that were received in November of 2011, more than 1,000 students were interviewed for different health cadres. Of these 1,000 interviewees, JCONAM received 30 nursing and 30 midwifery students to be admitted in 2012.

The College project began in May 2010 without classrooms or hostel facilities for its students. As of December 2011, both the first and second year intakes have newly constructed classrooms at the Juba Teaching Hospital. In addition, more than 60 students can now be accommodated in 2012 (both male and female) in the new hostel facility constructed by JICA.

The college project is on its way to establish a model skills laboratory and library that can be replicated by other institutes in South Sudan.