Mobile disability clinic in South Sudan

This month, we are incredibly excited to share that HHA East Africa (HHA EA) was able to hold our first mobile clinic in South Sudan!

As many of you know, HHA EA started in 2016 when we began disability and health work in an area of South Sudan called Kajo-Keji.  Sadly, the country’s devastating civil war soon broke out in this area, displacing our team, partners and the community.  Many fled as refugees to Uganda and sadly haven’t been able to return to South Sudan since.  

During these last 5 years it’s remained our constant hope that one day, we’d be able to return to Kajo-Keji and re-start our original vision.  This month, that dream once again became a reality as our mobile rehabilitation unit crossed into South Sudan and carried out our first disability clinic.  Whilst we were due to support 17 patients, as you can see from the photo…many more arrived!  

Before the conflict this region of South Sudan had about 49 health facilities, but now only 14 of them are somewhat functional.  Critical cases have to be referred to Juba (some 150km away) or Uganda.  Tragically, many patients don’t survive the journey. Despite the large numbers of persons with disability caused by the war, extreme poverty and lack of health services, there has been almost non-existent services for individuals with a disability.   The local authorities and community asked for our support and we are delighted that, this September, we were able to respond.

Our prosthetics and orthotics team, physiotherapist and project manager have travelled to Kajo-Keji twice this month and will continue building upon this work in the coming months.  It’s an honour to be providing life-transforming support to this vulnerable community as they start to re-build their lives.  In 2023, we have some big plans to develop this work, where we hope to open HHA’s first permanent clinic in South Sudan!  More news on that to come soon…

If you’d like to support this new vision, please do contact us or make a donation today.