Cancer Baseline Begins in Juba
A new baseline survey on breast and cervical cancer opened in Juba on 6 November, offering South Sudan’s health sector a rare chance to quantify a disease long considered an invisible foe.
Mission 21, the faith-based organisation behind the project, plans to begin fieldwork on 10 November, concentrating on house-to-house screening and knowledge assessments across Juba County.
Community Voices at the Centre
Country Representative Guliba Florence Hakim said the shift from reaction to prevention is essential: “Early action can alleviate the burden of cancer, transforming fears into hope.”
Mixed Methods for Reliable Data
Researchers will study the knowledge, attitudes and practices of 2,287 residents, 70 percent of them women aged 18-70, using questionnaires, interviews and focus groups to expose medical, social and cultural barriers.
Lead consultant Kabuye Gerald called the mixed-method design “a strategic first step” that could guide future nationwide work once data are validated in December.
Officials Call for Integrity and Action
Launching the exercise, Dr Justin Bruno Tongun of Al-Sabah Children’s Hospital likened cancer to a security threat, warning that maternal deaths leave families “in disaster” and urging enumerators to gather honest answers.
Tongun confirmed that limited screening exists in Juba but treatment capacity remains scarce, underscoring the value of Mission 21’s planned support to the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency’s Midwifery School.
Officials insist the forthcoming data will shape policy, mobilise resources and, ultimately, save lives across South Sudan.