By Ginaba Lino
Telecommunication company, MTN, on Monday launched its annual 21 Days of Yello Care Campaign at Juba Teaching Hospital, unveiling a series of health interventions aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare services.
The campaign, held under the theme “Expanding Equitable Healthcare for Communities,” will focus on maternal and child health, solarizing the hospital’s neonatal ward, and repairing the hospital’s non-functional CT scan machine.
Speaking during the launch, MTN South Sudan Chief Executive Officer, Mapula Bodibe, said the company chose to prioritize maternal and child health because of the country’s high maternal mortality rates.
“South Sudan has one of the highest maternal health challenges in the world. The fatalities are very high. We decided to partner in this area because when you empower communities by ensuring mothers and children are well taken care of, you build a better future for the country,” Bodibe said.
She noted that MTN’s support will largely focus on technology-driven solutions to address some of the hospital’s most pressing challenges, including unreliable electricity supply.
“One of the projects we are embarking on is the solarization of the neonatal unit, where newborn babies and their mothers receive care. That unit must have a reliable power source,” she explained.
Bodibe also announced that MTN will support the repair of the hospital’s CT scan machine, which has been out of service for months.
“The CT scan machine serves the entire South Sudanese community. We are going to help repair it so that patients can once again access this critical diagnostic service,” she said.
The telecommunication company pledged to introduce digital health communication services for expectant and new mothers. Through voice recordings and SMS messages, mothers will receive important health information, appointment reminders, medication guidance, and other maternal care updates.
“Mothers who are unable to visit the hospital regularly will be able to receive voice recordings and SMS messages containing critical healthcare information directly on their phones,” Bodibe added.
She expressed confidence that supporting Juba Teaching Hospital would benefit people from across the country who rely on the facility for specialized medical services.
The Director General of Juba Teaching Hospital, Dr. Gift Gibson Natana, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention for the country’s health sector.
Dr. Natana said MTN’s support would strengthen maternal and child healthcare services while also addressing critical diagnostic gaps through the rehabilitation of the CT scan machine.
“This is a critical intervention. Together with MTN representatives, we identified key areas where support was needed, and we are grateful that these priorities are now being addressed,” he said.
He noted that the hospital continues to face numerous challenges due to limited resources, adding that partnerships with private sector organizations are essential in helping bridge service delivery gaps.
According to Dr. Natana, the CT scan machine has been out of service for several months, forcing many patients to seek expensive services from private hospitals.
“There are other CT scan machines in the city, but they are located in private facilities. Many vulnerable patients who depend on affordable services at Juba Teaching Hospital have been affected by this situation,” he explained.
He expressed hope that the repair of the machine would restore access to affordable diagnostic services for children, mothers, and other patients.
Dr. Natana also encouraged pregnant women and mothers to take advantage of the healthcare activities and awareness programmes that will be conducted during the 21 days of the Yello Care Campaign.
The MTN Yello Care initiative is an annual employee volunteer programme implemented across MTN’s operating countries to support community development through sustainable interventions.