Improving health outcomes for women and children in rural South Sudan through innovation, job creation, infrastructure development and renewable energy supply.
The Black Body Energy project will prototype an innovative obstetric health care service model designed to meet the unique needs of women in rural South Sudan. A flat pack, easy to assemble modular building will provide a centre of operations for ongoing program administration, training and health services.
Powered by li-ion batteries charged by solar panels, the centre will also host a small fleet of rough terrain electric scooters to support the transport of patients with complex needs and to address supply chain issues. The pilot project will be modular, scalable, and easily replicable for ease of implementation in other under-serviced regions around the world.
The centre will focus on improving regional access to health services for women and children, with a particular focus on maternal health care, midwife training, vaccinations, the provision of first aid treatment for minor injuries, and the coordination of efficient transport for patients assessed to be in need of hospital care.
The project aims to address a number of UN Sustainable Development Goals in the world’s youngest country, which is hampered by a lack of civic and technological infrastructure after decades of conflict and centuries of exploitation and oppression. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, with a maternal death rate of 1,223 per 100,000 – more than double the average in the African region. For this reason, our project has a strong focus on the provision of neonatal and obstetric care in rural areas with minimal access to public health services, as well as the prevention and treatment of infant and early childhood diseases.
A local health centre in rural South Sudan is expected to increase public access to health care services that would otherwise require a commute of several hours to the hospital. At present, nurses in Gok often have no choice but to travel door to door to offer important childhood vaccinations, and women deliver their babies at home, supported by traditional birth attendants. South Sudanese women are unfortunately more likely die in childbirth than to graduate from primary school due to a lack of education and obstetric care infrastructure in the region.
The centre will be powered by solar energy combined with easily transported, self-contained, plug-and-play power systems that require minimal expertise and no additional equipment at the point of use. The system will recharge via an installation of solar panels, which are expected to perform well in the region. At present, over 90% of South Sudanese households have no access to an energy grid and most of the country's supply is provided by small diesel generators. South Sudan is one of the sunniest places on the planet.
A number of jobs for local women will be tied to the creation and administration of the centre and the provision of associated health services. In addition to increasing the number of certified midwives in the region who may go on to work independently, the centre will require administrators, trainers, nurses and drivers to transport patients requiring more complex health care services to hospitals in the nearest cities. The project will be designed to minimize reliance on outside funding, to easily scale and to be easily replicated in other areas.
Due to the low start-up cost of this clinic model and the community-focused nature of plans for staffing and ongoing administration, the project can be expanded and implemented in numerous remote communities in South Sudan and potentially across the African region. Ideally suited to regions recovering from conflict or natural disaster, the rapid deployment of Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) services potentiated by the Black Body Energy women's health care system can provide targeted services to some of the world's most vulnerable populations.
South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality in the African region, which represented 69% of all maternal deaths worldwide in 2020 . The heightened risk of pregnancy-related death, combined with a lack of access to reproductive health care, presents a major barrier to the realisation of individual and collective goals relating to economic equality for women. By providing employment opportunities and women’s health services in remote regions in South Sudan, the project can be expected to help level the playing field in what remains a very male-dominated society.
As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, remote regions in Africa may be exposed to dwindling options for transportation to urban areas where health services are available. Providing local care reduces community members’ need to travel in order to address their health concerns. A community hub for access to renewable energy and electrified transportation options can be an important link supporting local resilience against the impacts of climate change and systemic vulnerability to breakdowns and upsets in energy supply and long range transport.
The health centre will serve as a base of operations for a number of interventions aimed at improving maternal and infant health outcomes in rural South Sudan. Expanding on the previous work of Dr. Brett Nelson et al, traditional birth attendants will be offered a three day training program designed to develop their skills in identifying high risk pregnancies and performing life-saving interventions, delivered by nurse practitioners who will undertake a five day “train the trainer” course at Juba Teaching Hospital.
The centre will have at least two beds for the provision of delivery and neonatal care services in a sanitary environment, helping to reduce the occurrence of sepsis, a leading cause of maternal mortality. It will also be equipped with a supply of low-cost tamponades to assist in haemorrhage intervention, addressing another major cause of maternal mortality, as well as equipment designed to enhance the survival rate of newborns, for example devices designed to provide warming and breathing assistance.
The centre will provide the necessary infrastructure to implement a digital health SaaS platform, which will have the capacity to issue text notifications of health appointments and vaccination opportunities. Access to computers and WiFi will support administration and assist in record keeping and the registration of live births, which are currently being recorded at a rate of only 35% throughout the country. Training will be provided to local program administrators to ensure continuity.
Depending on feasibility and funding, the centre may serve as a location where basic first aid such as wound care and assessment are provided. Vaccinations protecting against childhood diseases and treatments addressing communicable, water borne and blood borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and typhoid can also potentially be offered to the community. Because travelling to a hospital is a major challenge for patients with complex needs in rural areas in South Sudan, the centre will endeavour to provide rugged electric cargo scooter transport for high risk deliveries as well as serious illnesses and injuries. Each potential service expansion also offers an opportunity for expanded engagement and training of local health care workers and program administrators.
From the first stages of her project to document the stories of women who fought with her mother in SPLA as teenagers, Adhel Arop has been committed to making a positive impact in the lives of the women who remained in the country after the war.
Born in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, Adhel was delivered by her grandmother, midwife Deborah Yar Pubek. Adhel was born prematurely, and her grandmother's intervention saved her life and the life of her mother, Amel Madut Aluk.
During her research and production for Katiba Banat: Sisters in Arms, Adhel had the opportunity to travel to South Sudan on multiple occasions and meet many of her family members, including her grandmother, for the first time. During one such visit, she asked Deborah what her community in Gok needs most.
Deborah identified the lack of maternal health services and midwife training in the area as a major challenge for local women, and offered to donate land for the project if Adhel could leverage her connections in the West in order to make it happen.
The Black Body Energy Project is the result of years of networking to bring the right group of people together to ensure the success and continuity of the initiative. Comprised of experts, entrepreneurs, researchers, communicators and innovators, the team looks forward to collaborating with international agencies, the South Sudanese Health Ministry, and various other project partners to bring Deborah and Adhel's shared vision to life.
Please reach out to us if you'd like to learn more or explore opportunities to collaborate or support for the project. Donations are welcome.
Photos and video by Adhel Arop, © 2022 Adhel Productions Inc.
Adhel Productions Inc.
Multi-disciplinary artist and impact producer of Katiba Banat: Sisters in Arms, platforming women who fought to liberate South Sudan. CEO and project lead for Black Body Energy.
Black Body Energy
Midwife, community leader and organizer, founder of Gok’s first primary school, sponsoring landowner, South Sudan project coordinator and community liaison.
SJ Healthcare Consultancy
Healthcare consultant and researcher with experience in digitized health systems, maternal and child health, refugee health, and designing and facilitating healthcare training.
Harvard Medical School
Senior Global Health Faculty Member at Harvard Medical School. Extensive experience addressing maternal and infant mortality in South Sudan through World Bank funded novel midwife training model.
FireDance Media
Consultant in energy transition, public health, & fundraising. Co- producer of Katiba Banat. Creates strategies & training for green energy microgrids. Communications and project management.
Ziphycare
VP of Strategic Partnerships for ZiphyCare and founder of N-EAT, Kerry serves on the Board of Directors of many Foundations and Organizations and is an Honorary Governor of the Vancouver Foundation.
Founder, Portable Electric
Manufacturer and global distributor of clean, CSA approved, plug and play mobile power systems designed for use on temporary off-grid work sites. Clean energy innovator and thought leader. Energy system design for Black Body Energy.
CFO, GRST
Manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries using water-based processing to remove toxic PFAS Forever Chemicals, lower emissions, and enhance recyclability. GRST won The Earthshot Prize in 2023.
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