Programs

The Duk Lost Boys Clinic offers a variety of medical services to the people of South Sudan. Click below to learn more:

> Maternal Child Health
> Community Health Workers
> Immunization, deworming, and Vitamin A Campaigns

Maternal Child Health

A girl is more likely to die in childbirth than she is to finish primary school in South Sudan today. - Vanessa Von Schoor

In Sudan, 1 out of every 5 children die before the age of 5. With that in mind, providing pre- and post-natal care to mothers and their children remains a top priority of the Foundation. This includes ultrasounds, laboratory blood screening, delivery, and full immunization of all children born at the Clinic and of women of childbearing age in the community. 

Before the Clinic came into service, many mothers delivered their children on dirt floors in huts, without any skilled attendants or medical services. The Foundation has begun an active education campaign to teach women of childbearing age the services the Clinic provides and the benefits of receive medical care. 

Although the notion of giving birth in a medical facility is new to many Sudanese, the Clinic has seen a steady rise in the number of mothers seeking services.

Clinic staff have trained 25 Traditional Birth Attendents in proper medical procedures for childbirth. By continually providing them with safe birthing kits, flashlights, rain boots, and mosquito nets, the Clinic continues to advance its goal of protecting newly born children from tragic medical conditions that can be easily prevented.

Community Health Workers

As the Clinic continues to expand, the John Dau Foundation trains and supports Community Health Workers from surrounding areas to help with the prevention of diseases through vaccinations, deworming, and education. Since an outbreak of measles or meningitis could take hundreds of lives in a matter of weeks from Duk Payuel, it is vital to have multiple people on the ground, in addition to the Clinic medical personnel, observing conditions in the local community. 

In 2010, the John Dau Foundation partnered with Groundwork Opportunities to bring 73 health education books (including, among others Where There is No Doctor and A Book for Midwives) to distribute to local schools, community health workers, and midwives to guide them in their practice. 

Immunization, Deworming, and Vitamin A Campaigns

In February 2009, the John Dau Foundation developed a solar powered cold chain system that enables the Clinic to receive vital vaccines and medicines requiring refrigeration. With this capability the Clinic was able to expand its reach to nearly 65,000 people with vaccines provided by UNICEF. In 2009, the Clinic vaccinated nearly 4,000 children and pregnant mothers against deadly and debilitating--though easily preventable--diseases.
 
Through a partnership with neighboring organizations and the government, the Clinic conducts de-worming for school-aged children and adults throughout the region. These worms, which are called helminthes and are transmitted through poor sanitation (i.e., not washing hands or drinking unclean water), have become a widespread epidemic, infecting nearly every person and leading to malnutrition and increased susceptibility to other, more severe, diseases. JDF is in the middle of a program to provide de-worming medication to every child in the region, and has so far treated over 10,000 children.

Lack of diversity in the diet of many Sudanese has led to extensive Vitamin A deficiency across the population, leading to blindness and increased vulnerability to Measles. The John Dau Foundation screens every child seeking care at the Clinic to ensure they are receiving enough Vitamin A in their diet. If not, Clinic staff administer a Vitamin A supplement that provides six months of coverage.