Abstract
Beginning in FY 2009, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) began to fund the office of WHO in Juba to support the implementation of IDSR in South Sudan. Over the subsequent three years, each of these donors has provided approximately $1 million each year to finance: Training of surveillance staff at state, county, and payam (sub-county) levels; Training of primary health care staff in the detection and reporting of diseases of epidemic potential; Printing and dissemination of job aides and reporting forms; Procurement and distribution to surveillance staff of high-frequency radios, satellite telephones, motorcycles, and bicycles; Procurement and prepositioning emergency medical supplies, vaccines, and laboratory supplies; Operational costs of support supervision, collection of weekly surveillance reports, and investigation of suspected outbreaks; and Employment of WHO technical staff (international and national) at state and national levels. This mid-term evaluation report presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of a collaborative evaluation commissioned by USAID and conducted September 27 to November 2, 2011 by a team of four external consultants. The evaluation team reviewed all available documentation and data from the IDSR program and interviewed key informants in Juba and in a convenience sample of six states, nine counties, and 38 health facilities. Findings, conclusions, and recommendations were shared and discussed at a final meeting held on October 28 with representatives of the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, USAID, ECHO, and other organizations.