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Southern Sudan Health Projects
Andrews Memorial United Methodist Church
106 Church Street
North Syracuse, New York 13212
p: 315.458.0890
e: office@andrewsmemorial-umc.org
SSHP's Mission
In 2007 a group of Sudanese Lost Boys who relocated in Syracuse, New York, met with local United Methodist Church (UMC) representatives to propose a mission project aimed at developing human health systems in their home area of Bor, Jongeli State in Southern Sudan. To date, over 40 people from at least 9 congregations, as well as about 15 men (Lost Boys) from Sudan have been involved in the project. (Appendix 1) A collaborative initiative was forged and SSHP members agreed upon the following mission:
For the Glory of God, we will strive to enable the development of
Community Based Systems for health and holistic quality of life in Southern Sudan.
SSHP researched the need for improvements in health conditions for the people in Southern Sudan. In April 2008 an assessment team composed of three Syracuse UMC representatives and three Sudanese representatives traveled to Bor, Southern Sudan.(Appendix 2) While there, the team met with government officials, interviewed families, conducted discussions with community elders and women, contacted non-government organizations working in Jongeli State, and visited health facilities operating in the area. (Appendix 3) Data collected during the team’s visit was used to determine the need for community-based health workers who will work at the village level in and around Bor. Currently the UMC’s General Board of Global Missions has assigned a public health missionary to coordinate with SSHP in order to establish a community steering committee on the ground in Bor. Future work will focus on training and monitoring the selected health workers. SSHP plans to commit to the funding for the workers and cooperate with the government of Jongeli State and Bor Community in order to turn over responsibilities for maintaining and expanding the project in approximately three years..
SSHP believes that improving the health of communities in Southern Sudan has the potential to lead to economic and political stability beyond the immediate area. Many examples of community-based health systems operate successfully in developing countries. An example is the Jamkhed Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) in India which has been in operation since 1970. Other projects operate through the UMC’s GBGM. These projects show improved results beyond the villages where they operate.
According to Dr. Raj Arole of CRHP, “Doctors promote medical care because that’s where the money is. We promote health.” (National Geographic, 2008) Arole and his wife recognized that curative medicine would do little for the poor and focused on preventative medicine that was located at the village level. Since most village health problems are related to nutrition and the environment, a village health worker can take care of 80 percent of the village’s health problems. Also, infant mortality is caused by three things: chronic starvation, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. Doctors are not needed to handle these problems. In the December 2008 National Geographic, Arole supports village health workers saying, “Rural problems are simple. Safe drinking water, education, and poverty alleviation do more to promote health than diagnostic tests and drugs.” (Rosenberg, 2008)
