What are the opportunities for health informatics professionals in the NGO sector in South Sudan?

The NGO sector offers significant opportunities for health informatics professionals in South Sudan, including: higher salaries than the government sector; exposure to international best practices; opportunities to work on innovative projects; and access to training and professional development. However, NGO positions are often short-term (tied to project funding) and can involve frequent travel to remote and insecure areas.

One of the challenges of working in the NGO sector is the fragmentation of health information systems. Different NGOs often use different systems and data standards, which makes it difficult to aggregate data at the national level. Health informatics professionals in the NGO sector can contribute to addressing this challenge by advocating for the use of national standards (DHIS2, OpenMRS) and participating in health sector coordination forums.