Anaemia and Iron Deficiency

An estimated 9.4 million people, or nearly 76% of the country's population, will require humanitarian aid in 2023. Severe droughts in 2011 and 2015 wreaked havoc. Between 2014 and 2023, the country was affected by destructive floods six times (Mayen, MS et al., 2022). These natural disasters have resulted in the loss of life, relocation, and the death of livestock, which is vital to the livelihoods of South Sudanese. The impact of these events has placed a tremendous strain on the South Sudanese people's fortitude (Reid, 2023). Therefore, when being a healthcare provider to individuals arriving in Australia, it is crucial to be mindful of the fact they not only could be underdeveloped in certain areas but de quite deficient in many vitamins due to malnutrition (Paul et al., 2014). Viable treatment for these types of conditions could include a change of diet by eating foods high in iron and having iron infusions.

Chronic Illnesses

Based on a study done in 2010, results showed that around a quarter of households in the capital city of Juba did not have access to health services when they were ill (Roberts et al., 2010). Noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer are on the rise, adding to the increase in chronic illnesses (Charani et al., 2019). Therefore, when treating a patient who hasn't had access to healthcare, it is important to be mindful of the fact there is a higher chance for diseases and underlying health issues. Treatment can include changing the individual's overall lifestyle choice to minimise the impact of the illnesses.

HIV

South Sudanese people have very limited access to HIV-preventative services and limited education. Very minimal people complete their education past primary school level, and studies show that this leads to high-risk activities, particularly when involving sexual education (Courtney et al., 2017). Due to low education, especially for women, statistics show that new cases of HIV were 1.5 times higher in young women than young men (Mude et al., 2020). As a nurse, the best treatment for HIV is antiretroviral drugs, which stop the virus from replicating in the body as there is no cure (Treatment | Living With HIV | HIV Basics | HIV/AIDS | CDC, n.d.).

Roberts, B., Damundu, E. Y., Lomoro, O., & Sondorp, E. (2010, August 27). The influence of demographic characteristics, living conditions, and trauma exposure on the overall health of a conflict-affected population in Southern Sudan. BMC Public Health, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-518

Iron-Deficiency Anemia | NHLBI, NIH. (2022, March 24). NHLBI, NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia#:~:text=Iron%20supplements%2C%20also%20called%20iron,take%20iron%20supplements%20during%20pregnancy.

Obels, I., Coleman, H., Straetemans, M., Gurp, M. V., Lutwama, G. W., & Jacobs, E. (2022, December 2). Determinants of health seeking behaviour in South Sudan: a cross-sectional household survey. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs2272887/v1

Mayen, MS, J. V., Wood, MS, E., & Frazier, PhD, T. (2022, July 25). Practical flood risk reduction strategies in South Sudan. Journal of Emergency Management, 20(8), 123–136. https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.0669

Paul, A., Doocy, S., Tappis, H., & Funna Evelyn, S. (2014). Preventing Malnutrition in Post-conflict, Food Insecure Settings: A Case Study from South Sudan. PLoS Currents. https://doi.org/10.1371/currents.dis.54cd85fa3813b0471abc3ebef1038806

Charani, E., Cunnington, A. J., Yousif, A. H. A., Seed Ahmed, M., Ahmed, A. E. M., Babiker, S., Badri, S., Buytaert, W., Crawford, M. A., Elbashir, M. I., Elhag, K., Elsiddig, K. E., Hakim, N., Johnson, M. R., Miras, A. D., Swar, M. O., Templeton, M. R., & Taylor-Robinson, S. D. (2019, August). In transition: current health challenges and priorities in Sudan. BMJ Global Health, 4(4), e001723. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001723

Refugee and asylum seeker facts. (n.d.). Australian Red Cross. https://www.redcross.org.au/act/help-refugees/refugee-facts/

Courtney, L. P., Goco, N., Woja, J., Farris, T., Cummiskey, C., Smith, E., Makuach, L., & Chun, H. M. (2017, November 21). HIV prevalence and behavioral risk factors in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army: Data from South Sudan. PLOS ONE, 12(11), e0187689. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187689

Mude, W., Oguoma, V. M., Gesesew, H. A., Ameyaw, E. K., Njue, C., Nyanhanda, T., Adeleye, A. O., Dune, T., Kaambwa, B., & Mwanri, L. (2020, December 14). HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes assessment among women of child-bearing age in South Sudan: Findings from a Household Survey. PLOS ONE, 15(12), e0243969. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243969

Treatment | Living with HIV | HIV Basics | HIV/AIDS | CDC. (n.d.). https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/livingwithhiv/treatment.html#:~:text=HIV%20treatment%20(antiretroviral%20therapy%20or,control%20it%20with%20HIV%20treatment.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. (2023, June 23). Insider Guides. https://insiderguides.com.au/australian-indigenous-culture/

Contemporary, A. (n.d.). What is the Dreamtime and Dreaming? Aboriginal Contemporary. https://www.aboriginalcontemporary.com.au/pages/what-is-the-dreamtime-and-dreaming#:~:text=The%20Dreamtime%20is%20the%20period,as%3A%20Ngarranggarni%2C%20Tjukula%20Jukurrpa.

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Seven Sisters (Pleiades) Star Dreaming Story - Aboriginal Art Stories. (2023, October 18). Japingka Aboriginal Art Gallery. https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/star-dreaming-seven-sisters/

Each netball player has a unique role:

1. Goal Shooter & Goal Attack: Scores goals by shooting them within the shooting circle.

2. Wing Attack: Creates plays, aids shooters, and pushes the ball to the shooting zone.

3. Center: The centre controls the game, passes between attacking and defending sectors, and initiates play.

4. Goal Defense & Wing Defense: Intercept passes, defend against opposing attacks, and assist the centre court.

5. Goal Defense & Goal Keeper: Prevents goals by defending the shooting circle and intercepting passes in order to safeguard the team's goal.

Ingredients:

White bread (must be white, any other type of bread is not acceptable)

Butter (salted, unsalted, spread, dairy free, this doesn't matter so much)

100's and 1000's (no other type of sprinkle is allowed)

Recipe:

1. Butter the bread with your spread of choice using a knife, ensuring all parts of the bread has butter ( otherwise, the 100's and 1000's won't stick properly)

2. Set out the 100's and 1000's on a plate with an adequate amount of sprinkles

3. Lightly press the bread into the 100's and 1000's ensuring every part of the bread is covered

4. You may cut the bread into 4 triangles (must be triangles, not squares), and it is up to you whether you want to cut the crust off, I personally like it.

5. Serve :)