South Sudan faces profound systemic challenges in delivering essential obstetric and gynaecological care, rooted in protracted conflict, underdevelopment, and chronic underfunding of the health sector. This short report aims to describe the key systemic barriers to effective obstetric and gynaecological medicine in South Sudan, providing a concise overview for policymakers and health planners. A desk-based review and synthesis of published literature, grey literature from non-governmental and United Nations agencies, and field reports was conducted. Thematic analysis identified predominant systemic challenges. Several interconnected systemic challenges were identified. A critical shortage of skilled healthcare workers exists, with extremely few specialist obstetrician-gynaecologists nationwide. This is compounded by severe gaps in supply chains for essential medicines and a near-total lack of functional emergency obstetric care facilities outside the capital. Obstetric and gynaecological care in South Sudan is severely constrained by entrenched systemic failures. These require sustained, multi-faceted interventions extending beyond the health sector to address underlying infrastructural and governance issues. Immediate priorities include scaling up training and retention of mid-level cadres, establishing reliable supply chains for essential commodities, and investing in basic emergency obstetric care infrastructure at community level. Long-term strategies must address security, education, and health system governance. South Sudan, maternal health, health systems, workforce shortage, emergency obstetric care, conflict-affected settings This report provides a focused synthesis of systemic barriers to obstetric and gynaecological care in South Sudan, highlighting areas for urgent intervention.
Achol Deng (Fri,) studied this question.