JUBA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Monday launched and formalized One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism (MCM) platform aimed at providing joint efforts from the government and partners in mitigating the health crisis in the country.

Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister for Health, said the initiative aims at providing coordinated efforts from the government and its partners in responding to the health crises and for future mitigation of similar crises.

"This one health stop coordination platform is going to help us in regards to the inclusive process to mitigate any health crisis in the country because there is no one health issue that is in isolation, for example, the cholera outbreak in PoC in Malakal and in Malakal town that alone shows that two-three line ministries have to come together and then they have got one strategy that is going to mitigate like a future crisis," Awel said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan during the launch.

She said the platform is going to be a coordination body that is going to help the government to utilize the little resources they have and the resources from the donors to be utilized properly.

Awel noted that the platform was supposed to be initiated in 2020 but was interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, pledged to support the initiative with the support of the president in order to secure the health of the South Sudanese and the environment.

"As a minister for cabinet affairs I will work with the president to ensure the platform is given maximum support and if technically needed we will also be all round we can do what is necessary to secure the health of our people, the health of our environment and health of our animals both domestic and wildlife," Elia said.

The South Sudan One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism Platform brings together all the key line ministries and agencies responsible for human, animal and environmental health coordination.

Effective and sustainable preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters requires a whole of society response that includes key sectors and agencies. - Xinhua

South Sudan's former Inspector General of the National Police Service, Lt. General Achuil Tito Madut, has died after a long fight against lung cancer, the family confirmed.

Lual Achuil, son of the late General, said his father passed on this morning in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

“It is true that he passed away this morning in Nairobi; he has been sick. He was diagnosed with cancer,” Lual told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday.

Lual revealed that plans are underway to fly his body to Juba.

“We are planning to bring the body on Tuesday, and probably, the body will be forwarded to Kuajok on Wednesday for burial,” he said.

William Wol Mayom Bol, Warrap state Information minister, where the late hailed from, also confirmed his death.

“Yes, we also got it on the social media platform that General Achuil Malondit passed on this morning in Nairobi hospital,” Bol confirmed.

“It is a great shock and a great loss to the people of Warrap state, people of Bahr el Ghazal, and people of South Sudan in general because General Tito Achuil was an icon, a reformer of police national south Sudan service and also an elder who had worked for the libation of the independence of south Sudan,” Wol said.

General Tito Achuil hailed from Warrap state's Kwac community. - Radio Tamazuj

Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC) and Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP) are calling for six weeks of paternity leave for a male employee whose spouse has given birth (half the time of maternity leave) to take care of the mother and new-born baby.

Article 56 of the law regulating labour in Rwanda gives maternity leave of at least 12 consecutive weeks to a female employee who has given birth, while article 21 of the law establishing the general statutes governing public servants, and article 2 of the Ministerial Order determining circumstantial leaves, give four working days of circumstantial or incidental leave to a male employee whose spouse has given birth.

According to a policy brief by RWAMREC, the discrepancy in the treatment of parents affects the ability of a male parent to support the mother and infant, especially in cases where the mother may fall sick or have post-partum complications.

This policy brief titled “Overcoming the barriers, filling the gaps and addressing challenges to make paternity leave a living reality in Rwanda”, is the outcome of a collaborative effort of RWAMREC and RCSP to advocate for more positive fatherhood towards early childcare in Rwanda.

“During a policy dialogue with different stakeholders, it was unanimously suggested that parental leave should at least be equivalent to half the leave permitted to the mother in the best interest of the child as prescribed by the UN Child Convention,” reads part of the brief.

In line with their mission, RCSP and RWAMREC intend to carry out advocacy initiatives on the recent findings from a rapid assessment related to gaps, barriers and challenges for a more inclusive parental leave.

The rapid assessment is titled, “Paternity Leave. Understanding gaps, barriers and challenges for a gender-sensitive parental leave.”

According to the assessment, it is common in Rwandan culture to see women taking on the bulk of responsibility for parenting, especially in the early months.

From conception onwards, mothers will take the lead in almost all aspects of childcare (feeding, diaper changing, washing, early vaccination and medical checks). In terms of parenting, a man’s role is thus perceived “as limited to putting food on the table” and – once basic needs are provided for – the “rest is not his business”.

The assessment also pointed out that fathers rarely engage in childcare when children are below the age of three, which is unfortunate because the first three years are critical for their development such as cognitive, emotional, physical and language development. It also indicated that fathers are more likely to become involved when children are “walking and talking”.

Maternal gatekeeping bias

Maternal gatekeeping refers to a mother’s protective beliefs about how much a father should be involved in their children’s lives. It also involves the behaviours between parents that either support or restrict co-parenting.

According to RWAMREC, informants reported that maternal gatekeeping does occur in Rwandan households and that some fathers feel disempowered and excluded from childcare as men feel “women are the ones to take charge”.

“Indeed, commonly shared beliefs are not something only men should be exclusively blamed for. Consciously or unconsciously, women also participate in these social constructs,” reads part of the policy brief.

In Rwandan culture, it is common for both mother and baby to move to another room, as mothers strongly believe that caring for the newborn is their primary and almost exclusive role. - Patrick Nzabonimpa, The New Times