South Sudan

8/10 states

The Alliance has been working to strengthen civil society responses to HIV in South Sudan since 2005. On 9 July 2011, South Sudan became a new independent country.

Alliance South Sudan currently supports 92 community based organisations (CBOs) across 23 counties in eight of South Sudan’s ten states. Building capacity for an integrated HIV response is at its heart. Given the very limited and fragile government and civil society structures that existed immediately after the signing of the peace agreement, this work is an excellent example of the Alliance’s approach to community systems strengthening. This work has focused on civil society, as well as local and central government structures including the support of six County HIV/AIDS Commissions and two State HIV/AIDS Commissions.

The HIV epidemic in South Sudan is categorised as a generalised epidemic, with a prevalence rate of 3% at the end of 2010. An estimated 128,000 people are living with HIV. The epidemic is worst in Western Equatoria and the southern part of the country. Here rates are as high as 10% compared with less than 1% in more rural central areas. The capital Juba has a prevalence rate of 6%. Populations most at risk of HIV infection include refugees, internally displaced people, soldiers, truckers, sex workers and tea sellers, as well as women and young girls more generally.

In late 2010 the Alliance secretariat completed a series of studies reflecting information against the first three strategic directions from the Alliance’s strategic framework for 2008-2010, IMPACT 2010. Click here to download the study for South Sudan.

Read the new Alliance South Sudan Organisational Strategy, 2012-2014

WHAT WE DO

Strengthening civil society

We have made a significant contribution to preventing HIV and mitigating the impact of AIDS by nurturing and strengthening emerging civil society organisations in the three border Equatoria States through grants and organisational and programmatic support. Alliance South Sudan also supports government bodies and County AIDS Councils to design, implement and manage HIV-related activities. Through 36 implementing organisations we have reached more than 50,000 people with services such as HIV prevention training, condom distribution, and referral for voluntary counselling and testing. More than 1,500 people have received palliative care and support.

Countering stigma

We have built a national team of “stigma trainers” to help combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination, which is a major barrier to people accessing services.

Building networks

Alliance South Sudan has been instrumental in the creation of the Network of People Living with HIV in South Sudan (SSeP ). We are helping to build this group’s capacity to influence national HIV-related policies.

FUTURE PLANS

This is an exciting time for the Alliance in South Sudan – the nation has just become a newly independent republic and the Alliance Country Office is set to become a fully autonomous local non-governmental organisation (NGO).