Primary Health Care for South Sudanese refugees

The Need

Close to 800,000 people live in the Madi-Okollo and Terego District where Rhino Camp and Imvepi are situated. Of these, around 280,000 are refugees. Health care is poor in the area and existing government services are unable to cope with the need caused by the influx of refugees. UNHCR’s assessment of the healthcare needs in Imvepi in 2018 reported that: ‘Limited access to health services leads to some refugees resorting to traditional remedies or selling part of their food rations to afford transportation to the main referral hospital in Arua.’

UNHCR and large INGOs are support local camps with water access, food staples, and basic needs. The greatest unmet need is basic healthcare access. Refugees cannot afford private transportation to health centres, may walk distances of up to 6 kilometres, to seek treatment. Health services are irregular, delivered under temporary, non-clinical conditions (i.e. under a tree), and insufficient to meet urgent needs.

Our Solution

In response, in October 2025 CRESS Africa Foundation (CAF) with support from CRESS UK deployed a four-member medical team to Rhino Camp establishing structured and consistent service delivery.

Over a six-month period, CAF reached over 5,000 individuals with essential healthcare services, including outpatient care, maternal and child health services, laboratory diagnostics, emergency referrals, and trauma-related psychosocial support. This intervention significantly reduced preventable illness and mortality risks while improving maternal and child health outcomes. Importantly, it restored dignity, trust, and hope within the refugee community, transforming a fragile service point into a functional and reliable health facility.

In March 2026, this outreach programme was transitioned to Medical Teams International (MTI), the UNHCR-appointed lead health partner.

PREVENTATIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMMES

CAF has transitioned to a Preventive Community Health Programme model. This shift reflects a deliberate move toward a more sustainable and cost-effective approach that aligns with UNHCR and OPM (Office of the Prime Minister) systems. The new model emphasizes prevention rather than treatment and leverages existing community structures such as Village Health Teams (VHTs), savings groups, schools, churches and local leadership to deliver health interventions at scale.

Through this transition, CAF is now positioned as a community-based preventive health partner within the refugee response system. The organization will play a critical role in strengthening mental health and psychosocial support through Children’s Accelerated Trauma Therapy (CATT), reinforcing the community health structures (VHTs), complementing the MTI-led clinical health system, and delivering scalable, integrated health and resilience programming that addresses root causes of vulnerability.

MATERNAL, NEWBORN AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES

The team also serve families through ante- and post- natal care, labour and deliveries, Expanded Programme on Immunisations (EPI), and family planning awareness. Partnered with Lewin’s Trust, we run a Happy & Healthy Mothers Project which provides mosquito nets and ‘mama kits’ to expectant mothers. ‘Mama kits’ include medicine and supplements for mothers, as well as necessities for welcoming a baby into their homes.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, FAMILY PLANNING & TRAUMA HEALING

CRESS also runs Re-Usable Mentrual Pads (RUMPs) training for young women and girls in school, and Children's Accelerated Trauma Therapy (CATT). The counsellors for CATT also run PTSD awareness workshops for adults.

pregnant woman standing under a tree in the shade. She is wearing red dress and yellow head scarf smiling. She is holding up a packages to the camera.

Health Team (left to right): Lulu, Bethy, Apangu, Asaba

Healthcare Stories

woman in dark blue scrubs standing next to a white wall, smiling

Hearing Aids for CRESS Student Midwife

Nancy Tiango has been part of the CRESS UK education sponsorship programme since she was 10 years old. She had been struggling to complete her training due to a serious hearing issue which was preventing her from hearing her lecturer and engaging with her education. However, Nancy and our Education Co-ordinator, Scopas travelled from Arua to Kampala to fit Nancy with specialised hearing aids. She was amazed by the immediate difference in hearing ability, and looks forward to getting back to her studies.

Nancy recently completed her Diploma in Midwifery. Nancy now dreams bigger than herself. In January, she started to serve mothers through safe deliveries at Mundari Hospital in Kajo-Keji, with hopes of later working with NGOs after giving back to her community.

woman standing under tree in shade. She is wearing a white graphic print t-shirt and blue bottoms. In one arm, she is holding her baby in a white onsie. Their faces are pressed together. In the other hand she has a plastic kit bag with blue edging.

Mutinga Joyce – How Care Made a Difference

“My name is Mutinga Joyce. I’m 18 years old, a mother from South Sudan… we’ve never had such a powerful and practical training….We received mosquito nets for all mothers and mama kits for pregnant women, which are so important for safe deliveries… This project has given me hope. I had to stop school in Senior Three, but now I believe I can go back and continue my education… Without your care and support, none of this would have reached us. You’ve touched our lives in ways we will never forget.”

RUMPs Training

In 2025, CRESS delivered Re-Usable Menstrual Pads (RUMPs) training to 154 students in schools and Rhino 8.

Young women and girls are taught how to sew and maintain menstrual pads and good menstrual hygiene so that they can continue going to school after they begin menstruating.

The headteacher of Yikuru Secondary School said this our team,

“’The country where they come from needs them. No country will develop without women, they need education and therefore they need to be protected, they need support. They need sanitary pads to keep them in school, not to drop out from school, they need this training for their future benefits. They need to be prepared as future leaders for their country.’’

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