WHO · UNICEF · UN IGME 2024← All Countries

🇸🇸

Maternal & Child Mortality
in South Sudan

East Africa · #9 of 30 worst globally

Child Deaths Since Jan 1, 2026

0

78.1 per 1,000 live births · South Sudan

Deaths at Birth Today

0

est. newborns today

Infant Mortality Rate

78.1

per 1,000 · 2.9× world avg

Maternal Mortality Rate

1,223

per 100,000 · 6.2× world avg

East Africa

Birth Mortality Crisis

Mothers & Newborns
Dying in South Sudan
During Childbirth

1,223 maternal deaths per 100,000 — the second highest in the world. A South Sudanese woman has a 1 in 7 lifetime chance of dying from pregnancy-related causes.

Newborn & Infant Mortality

78.1deaths per 1,000 live births

2.9× the world average

Maternal Mortality During Birth

1,223deaths per 100,000 live births

6.2× the world average

👶

Newborn & Child Deaths During Birth in South Sudan

South Sudan has been in civil war since 2013. Over 4 million people are displaced. 70% of health facilities have been looted, damaged or destroyed.

South Sudan has never had a robust health baseline — it became independent in 2011 and immediately entered conflict.

Leading Causes of Child Death at Birth

Neonatal causes27%

Malaria24%

Acute malnutrition20%

Diarrhoea16%

Other13%

* Neonatal deaths (first 28 days) represent the largest share of under-5 mortality.

What Happens in the Delivery Room

🏥

Births in a health facility~79%

estimated — lower in conflict/rural areas

👩‍⚕️

Skilled birth attendant present~39%

doctor, midwife or trained nurse

⚠️

Neonatal deaths (first 28 days)48%

of all under-5 deaths occur at birth

🩸

Most preventable with skilled care~75%

of child and maternal deaths

🤱

Maternal Mortality During Birth in South Sudan

Only 19% of births are attended by skilled health workers. Civil war has driven female health professionals out of the country. MSF and IRC are effectively the primary maternal health providers in conflict-affected states.

Among the worst rates ever recorded globally. Conditions are deteriorating.

Causes of Death During Labour & Delivery

Haemorrhage32%

Sepsis24%

Eclampsia18%

Obstructed labour14%

Malaria in pregnancy7%

Other5%

* Haemorrhage and eclampsia together cause over 50% of deaths — both are treatable with basic skilled care.

Why Mothers Die at Birth Here

🩺

Emergency obstetric care availableLimited

few facilities can manage haemorrhage

🩸

Blood transfusion accessCritical gap

haemorrhage kills within 2 hours

💊

Magnesium sulphate (eclampsia)Often absent

costs $1 — saves lives instantly

✅

If skilled care were universal~75% fewer deaths

WHO estimate for this mortality level

⚠️

Why Is This Still Happening?

Structural Barriers to Safe Birth in South Sudan

Ongoing civil war — fighting between government and rebel factions

70% of health facilities damaged or destroyed

4M+ displaced people

Near-complete collapse of the health workforce

7 million facing starvation (2023)

🎯

SDG 3 Progress Assessment

South Sudan faces a humanitarian catastrophe that makes SDG progress meaningless without first achieving lasting peace.

💡

Prevention & Solutions

How Can We Prevent This in South Sudan?

📍 The Situation

South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world — 1,223 deaths per 100,000 live births. A woman born in South Sudan has a 1-in-7 lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth. Ongoing conflict, displacement, collapse of health infrastructure, and extreme provider shortages make this the most challenging environment on this map.

🔬 How Ultrasound Helps

In South Sudan's context, portable ultrasound is not a luxury — it is arguably the single most impactful diagnostic investment available. The country's maternal deaths are dominated by haemorrhage, sepsis, and obstructed labour. All three have a detectable prenatal signature on ultrasound. The goal of POCUS here is simple: identify the women most likely to die, and get them to the facilities — often supported by MSF, IRC, or other humanitarian organizations — that can save them.

🎓 The Training Gap

South Sudan's health system is largely operated by international NGOs and a nascent Ministry of Health. GUSI's global health partnerships make them directly relevant here — training programs delivered to NGO health workers in stable areas can create a cadre of POCUS-capable providers who dramatically extend the diagnostic reach of each humanitarian health facility.

What a trained provider can detect with a portable ultrasound device

🩸Placenta previa

🔄Malpresentation

👥Twin pregnancy

📉Fetal growth restriction

⚡Pre-eclampsia markers

🫁Childhood pneumonia

💉Internal bleeding

🧠Hydrocephalus

🧮

Interactive Model

POCUS Impact Calculator — South Sudan

Model based on: 600 scans/provider/year · 15% high-risk detection rate · 47% mortality reduction for detected cases (Swanson et al. 2014 · WHO POCUS in LMICs review)

Number of POCUS-trained providers deployed in South Sudan50

1 provider250500 providers

Scans per Year

30,000

pregnant women screened

High-Risk Detected

4,500

flagged for referral / intervention

Maternal Deaths Prevented

83

mothers saved per year

Newborn Deaths Prevented

63

babies saved per year

Total Lives Saved Per Year

146deaths prevented

2.9

lives per provider

$170

est. cost per life saved

$24,750

total training investment

* This calculator uses a conservative evidence-based model. Actual impact varies by deployment context, provider experience, and health system capacity. Training cost based on GUSI OB POCUS Essentials (~$495/provider). Mortality reduction from peer-reviewed POCUS implementation studies in low-resource settings.

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Technology & Education

A Practical Plan to Bring POCUS to South Sudan

🗺️ Deployment Roadmap for South Sudan

Baseline assessment — map existing facilities, referral pathways, blood supply, and available midwives, nurses, and physicians who could be trained.
Provider training — enrol local champions in GUSI's OB POCUS Essentials + Pediatric POCUS courses. Certify a core group to train others.
Device procurement — select appropriate portable handheld devices based on power infrastructure, connectivity, and budget (see brands below).
Protocols & referral integration — define what to scan, what findings trigger referral, and how to document scans at the point of care.
Quality assurance — regular image review sessions, outcomes tracking, and refresher training to maintain competency.

📡 Recommended Portable Ultrasound Devices

🦋 Butterfly iQ+

Website →

Single-probe whole-body device covering OB, cardiac, lung, and FAST exams. App-based platform with built-in AI guidance. Designed for low-resource environments — charges via USB and works with any smartphone.

🔵 Philips Lumify

Website →

App-based probe that plugs into Android phones. Multiple transducer heads available for OB and point-of-care use. Widely used in GUSI-supported training programs globally.

🟢 GE Vscan Air

Website →

Wireless, pocket-sized dual-probe handheld. Streams live images to a smartphone app. Excellent battery life — purpose-built for rapid bedside OB and FAST-style assessments.

🔷 Clarius HD3

Website →

High-resolution wireless handheld. Multiple probe configurations available. Strong image quality in a compact form factor — suitable for OB, lung, and neonatal scanning.

Global Ultrasound Institute · GUSI

The training that closes the gap — built for providers in settings like South Sudan

GUSI trains physicians, nurses, midwives, and community health workers in Point-of-Care Ultrasound. Courses are designed from the ground up for providers in resource-limited settings — short, practical, competency-based, and available online or in person. Every course maps directly to the conditions killing mothers and babies during childbirth.