28 March2021
Health Care South Sudan

Health Care South Sudan launches lifesaving campaign: Hygiene is in your hands

We have launched a fundraising campaign, Hygiene is in your hands, rallying support for a water, sanitation, and hygiene project in Kupera Payam, Lainya County, South Sudan. We’re calling on people to donate whatever they can to support the life-saving initiative. All money raised will support the project that is being delivered with our indigenous partner NGO, South Sudan Health Association (SSUHA).

The project aims to benefit more than 20,000 people and its delivery will adopt a pioneering community-based participatory approach. This focuses on the long-term through the involvement of a substantial number of people within a community who are then empowered to spread the word further. Mobilising the community in this way will support long-term change in practices such as safe water treatment, sanitation, and hygiene. We’re calling on anyone who can help to support our fundraising campaign to match the funding we have already pledged to the project to raise £9,000.

Mark Thomas, our Chair of Trustees, said:

“In South Sudan, basic hygiene really does save lives with only 11% of the population able to use basic hygiene measures. Health Care South Sudan wants to help more people avoid deadly diseases by funding a project that promotes healthy and long lasting hygiene habits. We’re asking people to donate whatever they can on our JustGiving page.”

Justus Lugala, Executive Director of our indigenous partner NGO, South Sudanese NGO SSUHA, added:

This project will play a crucial role in improving the health and socioeconomic well-being of people in Kupera Payam. With the support of Health Care South Sudan SSUHA will work with communities to embed sustainable safe water, sanitation, and hygiene practices within them and reduce the incidences of disease.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, the importance of hygiene and handwashing is now well known. In South Sudan, a country that is afflicted with Cholera, Typhoid, Denghi Fever and other communicable diseases, washing hands has always been a life saving measure. Introducing a programme that embeds effective hygiene such as washing hands, drinking clean water and using latrines away from accommodation is an essential part of protecting health in South Sudan.