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 Worker Trainings
> Immunization, deworming, and Vitamin A Campaigns
> Nutrition

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 Duk Lost Boys Clinic came into service, many mothers delivered their children on the dirt floors of their huts, without any skilled attendants or supplies. 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. The Clinic also has a unique partnership with Traditional Birth Attendants ("TBAs") in the area, whereby the Clinic trains and supplies these women with safe delivery kits, flashlights, mosquito nets, and gumboots for conducting deliveries of mothers who can't make it to the Clinic. After more than a year of nurturing this relationship and building trust between the Clinic and the TBAs, many TBAs now refer the mothers under their care to the Clinic for antenatal, delivery, and postnatal 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 antenatal, delivery, and postnatal services. Through this unique and committed strategy, many lives have been saved.

Community Health Worker Trainings

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 in this area, 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. With other donations, JDF also provides supplies to these even more remote locations.

Immunization, De-worming, and Vitamin A Campaigns

In February 2009, the John Dau Foundation developed a solar powered cold chain system that enables the Duk Lost Boys Clinic to receive vital vaccines and medicines requiring refrigeration. With this capability the Clinic is now able to provide this essential service 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 vulnerability 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 reached over 15,000 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.

Nutrition

In Fall 2010, staff members at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic conducted an extensive nutrition survey to determine the extent of malnutrition and mortality in Duk and Ageer Payams of Duk County and decide on appropriate response for the UN, NGOs and Government organizations. The report is available in PDF form here.

With support from its donors, the Duk Lost Boys Clinic now screens for malnutrition every child who comes to the Clinic. Children who are malnourished are enrolled in the Clinic's nutrition program, which provides therapeutic food and nutrient supplements which are provided through a parternship with UNICEF. Most importantly, their families are counseled on proper feeding and hygiene practices. In an area where 20% of the children under five are malnourished, this program is sorely needed.