South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in coordination with the national Ministry of Health, has launched a newly built 40-bed neonatal inpatient ward to improve access to medical care at Aweil State Hospital.
Denis Mbae, MSF project coordinator for Aweil, stated that the opening of the newly constructed neonatal inpatient ward is set to enhance access to medical care for sick, low-birth-weight, and premature babies in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State.
“We had a neonatal ward, but it was always full or over its capacity. This new building, which is also closer to the maternity ward, will limit the distance that mothers have to walk to breastfeed their babies,” Mbae said on Thursdayin a statement.
Mothers will also have dedicated space for Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), which promotes skin-to-skin contact vital for low-birth-weight infants and has proven to improve health outcomes for babies in this condition, he added.
In 2024, MSF assisted in the delivery of 7,664 babies at Aweil State Hospital.
Mbae noted that the new structure replaces the former 33-bed neonatal ward, which was frequently overcrowded, with over 45 babies admitted at once, and lacked enough room for critical care, including resuscitation.
He disclosed that the new ward has increased capacity and improved design, with necessary space for incubators and life-support equipment to better support vulnerable infants whose vital organs may not be fully developed.
“This specialised unit, the only one of its kind in the state, offers spacious environments designed for infection prevention, improved monitoring, and better working conditions for staff. The building will also provide a space for neonates under one roof, allowing for better follow-up and monitoring.”
MSF has supported Aweil State Hospital since 2008, providing paediatric and maternity services in a region where many people face challenges accessing timely care due to limited peripheral health services and difficulty in finding proper transportation.
The upgrade of the neonatal inpatient ward at Aweil State Hospital reinforces MSF’s commitment to enhancing access to healthcare for better outcomes for vulnerable families in South Sudan.
