A health worker in the Jonglei State capital, Bor, has reported a concerning escalation in the number of HIV-positive pregnant women seeking antenatal care at Bor State Hospital.
Atong Ajak, a nurse at the hospital, on Monday, said that she registers new HIV cases daily, with several pregnant women particularly testing positive. She emphasized the importance of voluntary testing and counseling for HIV-positive mothers.
“When I test a mother and find her positive, I refer her to Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and call her husband for testing,” she explained. “If he is also positive, we enroll them in treatment.”
Women visiting the hospital exhibit nervousness as they await their chance to see a doctor for antenatal care, which includes a mandatory HIV test.
Achan Mabior, a Bor resident, said she was relieved after receiving a negative test result.
“I was worried that HIV may be found in my blood because you cannot trust men these days,” she stated. “Recently, Jonglei was found to be one of the leading states in South Sudan with a high number of infections, which makes a lot of women like me very worried.”
Another resident, Awuoi Malek, explained that HIV testing is a routine practice in her family due to her husband’s polygamous marriage.
“Regular testing is how we are managing. When my co-wife stops breastfeeding and plans for another pregnancy, she goes for testing with our husband, and I do the same,” she explained. “If I am still breastfeeding, he tests with the other wife.”
Polygamy is a common practice across much of South Sudan, including Jonglei state, contributing to the spread of HIV and complicating efforts to combat the epidemic.
Since 2011, over 32,000 people in Jonglei have been living with HIV/AIDS, according to health authorities. However, the battle against the virus faces significant obstacles, including limited resources, widespread stigma, and ongoing insecurity in the region.
Health experts, including UN AIDS officials, have stressed that these challenges continue to undermine efforts to combat HIV in South Sudan, specifically in Jonglei state.