South Sudan

[2009-Present]

Because of the high levels of malnutrition in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health has made the development of a South Sudan nutrition health policy a priority (NHP). FANTA, and now FANTA-2, has been working with USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP) and USAID/Sudan to improve food security programming by supporting improved targeting of food assistance and identifying potential linkages with longer-term development programs. FANTA-2 is also helping to integrate community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) – known as Integrated Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (IM-SAM) in South Sudan – into the national health system to ensure its effectiveness as a development model and to reach national scale.

Food Assistance Transition Study: FANTA conducted a Food Assistance Transition Study to help USAID assess how transition from war to peace affects the most food-insecure and nutritionally vulnerable populations in South Sudan. The study also makes recommendations on how Title II resources should be used to address the prevailing food security issues.

Food Security Desktop Study: FANTA-2 conducted a desktop study of South Sudan and the Three Areas--Abyei, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile--to identify priority locations for conditional food aid projects within the context of the new Title II multi-year assistance projects (MYAPs). The study aimed to identify populations, states and counties vulnerable to food insecurity; compile available data on food security indicators; and provide a variety of options for geographic targeting of FS interventions, in particular Title II projects.

IM-SAM Guidelines: FANTA-2 is helping to develop IM-SAM guidelines for South Sudan. FANTA-2 is reviewing and revising the guidelines, first written by UNICEF, to ensure they are appropriate for the South Sudanese context and meet international standards, reflecting current, evidence-based best practices and internationally accepted protocols and guidance. In addition, FANTA-2 is guiding the development of IM-SAM job aids and training materials, tailored to the needs of South Sudan. FANTA-2 is also co-facilitating trainings for South Sudanese health care providers and managers on the management of acute malnutrition in inpatient and outpatient care.

Southern Sudan Nutrition Health Policy (NHP): USAID/Sudan/Juba asked FANTA-2 to help the Government of South Sudan develop an NHP to address malnutrition strategically. The NHP will strengthen the coordination capacity of the MOH's Directorate of Nutrition and build South Sudan's capacity to address nutrition-related issues. As part of its technical assistance, FANTA-2 co-facilitated, along with the MOH, a 2009 nutrition health policy convention that brought together nutrition stakeholders from all over South Sudan. FANTA-2 also conducted a nutrition situation analysis by interviewing government representatives, NGOs and other partners, donors and key informants, and by conducting extensive research in the literature on nutrition, food security and health in South Sudan. These activities informed the NHP’s development.  

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