South Sudan Medical Journal: Gender-based violence (2)

24 November, 2023

It is really gratifying to read a paper on an issue that is very neglected in most LLMICs - GBV.

The introduction to the paper makes this paper a must-read for all stakeholders in the global fight against GBV (Gender Based Violence). As these countries' health systems battle multiple other pressing challenges to Life and Death, such as communicable diseases, non communicable diseases, Neglected Tropical diseases and emerging epidemics and the pandemic, more search-light needs to be shun [shone] on these unspoken and less studied issues like GBV, hence we welcome the introductory chapter that says, that, 'A recent study in South Sudan, conducted by The Sudan Institute, shows that substantial proportions of women in South Sudan experience GBV either in form of physical (34.0%) or sexual (13.5%) violence in their lifetime. Intimate Partner Violence is at 49.6%, the second highest in the region. Similarly, the study documented a high prevalence of child marriage (34.6%) nationally.

Papers like this one on 'Ending GBV in South Sudan by Dr Anne Pita Lomole will wake up the powers and authorities in these countries including the health workers to take effective actions to eliminate the scourge of GBV in LLMICs.

Joseph Ana.

Prof Joseph Ana

Lead Senior Fellow/ medical consultant.

Center for Clinical Governance Research &

Patient Safety (ACCGR&PS) @ HRI GLOBAL

P: +234 (0) 8063600642

E: info@hri-global.org

8 Amaku Street, State Housing, Calabar, Nigeria.

www.hri-global.org

HIFA Profile: Joseph Ana is the Lead Senior Fellow/Medical Consultant at the Centre for Clinical Governance Research and Patient Safety (CCGR&PS) with Headquarters in Calabar, Nigeria, established by HRI Global (former HRIWA). He is the Country Coordinator for PACK Nigeria (Practical Approach to Care Kit) which is specifically designed to improve clinical competence (improving accuracy of diagnosis and treatment) in primary health care. He is also a Member of the World Health Organisation’s Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Care in primary, emergency, operative, and critical care (TAG-IC2). As the Cross River State Commissioner for Health (2004-2008), Joseph Ana led the introduction of the evidence based, homegrown quality tool, the 12-Pillar Clinical Governance Programme (12-PCGP) in Nigeria, which also suitable for lower-, low-, and middle income countries (LLMIC) with similar weak health sector and system. To ensure sustainability of 12-PCGP, the ‘Department of Clinical Governance, Servicom & e-health’ was established in Cross River State Ministry of Health in 2007. His main interest is in ‘Whole health sector and system strengthening in LLMICs’. He has written six books on the 12-Pillar Clinical Governance Programme, including the TOOLS manual for its Implementation, currently in its 2nd Edition. He served as Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association’s Standing Committee on Clinical Governance (2012-2022), and he won the Association’s ‘Award of Excellence’ on three consecutive occasions for the innovation of 12-PCGP in Nigeria. He served as Chairman, Quality & Performance subcommittee of the Technical Working Group for the implementation of the Nigeria Health Act 2014. He was Member, National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTISC) of the Federal Ministry of Health, 2017-2022. He is the pioneer Secretary General/Trustee-Director of the Charity, NMF (Nigerian Medical Forum UK) which took the BMJ to West Africa in 1995. Joseph is a member of the HIFA Steering Group; the HIFA working group on Community Health Workers, and the Working Group on HIFA-WHO Collaboration (http://www.hifa.org/support/members/joseph-0 http://www.hifa.org/people/steering-group). Email: info AT hri-global.org and jneana AT yahoo.co.uk