Health awareness—both physical and mental—has become even more important since the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world.

Nobody is more aware of the need for every citizen in the world’s youngest country to take care of their overall wellbeing than peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and their humanitarian partners.

“In the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to review and recalibrate our entire operations across the country,” Faustin Kalimba, a United Nations Police (UNPOL) officer from Rwanda deployed to Malakal, Upper Nile state. “At the time, we had one main aim: To prevent any transmission of the virus from us to the host communities we are here to serve.”

The fear of those first months was palpable, with UNMISS supporting the national-led COVID-19 efforts, running thousands of sensitization programmes, educating residents in remote parts of the country on preventative measures, staying safe and healthy.

But Coronavirus isn’t the only risk that the nearly 2 million displaced people across this conflict-beleaguered nation face.

Sub-national violence continues to soar, including perennial tensions, such as in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, and cross-border conflicts, in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Unity and Upper Nile states, as well as the Abyei Administrative Area.

Moreover, South Sudan is facing a massive humanitarian crisis with nearly 8.9 million people in need of succor following the worst flooding in nearly a decade.

“The combined effects of climate change and conflict led us to the understanding that more needs to be done to ensure medical care for the most vulnerable,” stated Leda Limann, Head of the mission’s Field Office in Malakal.

From 28-31 March 2022, therefore, military and police peacekeepers from Rwanda, supported by medical counterparts from India, jointly organized a four-day medical outreach on non-communicable diseases at the UN Protection of Civilians site adjacent to the mission’s base here.

“Now that vaccinations are slowly rolling out in South Sudan and the medical community understands the Coronavirus better, we must do more to ensure healthcare is prioritized for South Sudanese communities,” said Colonel Rishi Raj, an Indian doctor serving for peace with UNMISS.

For greater efficacy and reach, peacekeepers partnered with health professionals from humanitarian agencies working in UN protection site.

“When it comes to meeting the humanitarian needs of displaced civilians living here, our partners from the World Health Organization, International Mercy Corps and the International Organization for Migration are key actors,” explained Ms. Limann. “Our initiatives as a UN peace operation, thus, must be underpinned by their support to achieve a sustainable impact,” she continued.

This first-of-its-kind medical outreach provided thorough screenings to displaced persons above the age of 40, especially their blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

“While COVID-19 continues to be a threat, there are other diseases that may not transmit from person-to-person but are dangerous nonetheless in the long-term,” revealed Dr. Emmanuel Timothy, the WHO representative in Upper Nile.

“What many people don’t realize is that some 75 per cent of the population in South Sudan do not have access to healthcare and regular check-ups for underlying issues such as diabetes or hypertension. This is what we’re trying to mitigate with such outreach programmes,” he added.

For Pal Deng Garang, a displaced persons’ representative, the care and kindness from UNMISS and the humanitarians means more than words can express.

“We have struggled a lot in past years. Floodwaters have devastated our livelihoods and lives, while the specter of conflict looms large. But we are uplifted by such activities from the UN family which put our needs at the forefront,” he averred.

Some 712 displaced people benefited from the detailed screenings conducted by peacekeepers, of which 120 were found to be hypertensive or at risk for developing diabetes. They were referred for further treatment to clinics run by IMC and IOM.