By Matik Kueth
In the quiet ward of Mankien Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), Mayom County, Unity State, a mother keeps watch over her sick son, her eyes fixed on the health workers treating a condition that has left the family searching for answers.
Her son has been battling high fever, night sweats and a persistent cough since January, leaving Gatduel frightened and desperate for answers.
In an interview with King Media, Nyephar said the illness has left her frightened, especially after losing the boy’s older brother to illness last year.
“My son’s illness started in January this year (2025). The condition is night sweat just, with high fever and cough. When we came here, we came from Ruath-Nyibol PHCC. But he was transferred here. High fever is what makes him like this. His elder brother, the one he follows, died last year when he was sick. And he’s now in this condition,” Gatduel said.
For Gatduel, the memories of losing one child have made her son’s illness even harder to bear.
She noted her son continues to eat, but doctors have yet to establish what is causing his condition.
“He eats everything I gave him. But because of what is in his blood, I don’t know what the problem. And it’s not yet found by the doctors. I don’t know what to do now. And I can’t lose him again. I really wish the doctors would do something to save him,” she stated.
Gatduel’s story is one of many unfolding inside the health facility.
David Mok Kornyot, a clinical officer at Mankien PHCC, stressed that the facility is receiving children suffering from severe malnutrition, many of them arriving with additional medical complications.
“In most cases, we do receive malnourished children, and we do admit them also. We have admitted 30 so far in the stabilization unit. Within the stabilization unit, we kept them for almost 7 days. We first put them in the transitional phase, and later on we discharge them. Also, those malnourished children, most of them have a medical complication, especially anemia,” he stated.
Mok said some children remain in the ward with both severe malnutrition and severe anemia, requiring continued treatment.
But the health workers themselves are struggling with shortages, as poor road conditions delay the delivery of essential supplies.
“But due to the condition of the roads, they delayed bringing supplies till we received them last month. And still, it is not enough. Because Mankien PHCC is the biggest PHCC within Mayom, which is surrounded by various payams that are not functioning well, as well as Mankien. We also request humanitarian partners to at least support us on that issue,” he noted.
According to Kornyot, six children died from malnutrition at the facility between January and July this year.
Severe malnutrition remains a serious threat to children across South Sudan, where food insecurity and limited access to healthcare continue to leave children vulnerable to illness and other life-threatening complications.
Behind the numbers are families like Gatduel’s, mothers and fathers waiting for treatment, answers, and, ultimately, a chance to keep their children alive.
Having already lost one son, Gatduel now fears losing another and pleads with doctors to save the child she still has.