Population Council Research that makes a difference

Agreement Signed Between the Government of Southern Sudan and the Population Council

JUBA, SUDAN (August 2010) — A principal cooperation agreement signed between the Population Council and the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) marks the beginning of Council activities in the region. The agreement was signed by Olivia Lomoro, undersecretary of the Southern Sudan Ministry of Health, and Safaa El-Kogali, regional director of the Council's West Asia and North Africa region, which covers Sudan. Also present at the signing were His Excellency Dr. Luka Monoja, Minister of Health, and Wendy Baldwin, vice president of the Council's Poverty, Gender, and Youth program from the Population Council headquarters in New York.

The Council will work in collaboration and consultation with the Government of Southern Sudan to identify areas of immediate need and plan activities in the region. Currently the Council is preparing an assessment of adolescents in Central Equatoria that will provide the foundation for adolescent programming in the state. Building on that assessment, the Council is working with the GOSS and development partners to develop a comprehensive survey of youth in Southern Sudan. 

The Population Council has worked intermittently in Sudan for more than 20 years. Recent projects include enhancing the capacity of local Sudanese institutions working in health- and population-related research with support from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and a series of analyses of reproductive health services in seven states in Sudan in collaboration with federal and state ministries of health and with funding from UNFPA, UNICEF, and the Packard Foundation. With funding from UNICEF, the Council also conducted a comprehensive mapping of organizations that work with orphans and vulnerable children with the objective of improving the health and well-being of these children.

In North and West Darfur, the Population Council conducted research to assess the reach of basic schooling to internally displaced children and to document dimensions of school quality and the views of the internally displaced on education. The study was supported by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the UK Department for International Development.

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About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issues—from stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees.

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Media contact
Abeer Salem: asalem@popcouncil.org; +1 212 339 0617