South Sudan
Travel Destination – South Sudan
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and has significant natural and cultural heritage, although access remains limited by the security environment.
The Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape, including Boma and Badingilo National Parks, supports one of Africa’s largest wildlife migrations, with millions of antelope moving seasonally across its grasslands and floodplains. The country also contains the Imatong Mountains, Nile wetlands, and diverse cultural traditions among communities including the Dinka, Nuer, Mundari, and Murle.
Tourism infrastructure and emergency medical services are very limited. So pre-travel health preparation is essential.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
Securing an appointment with a travel doctor is an essential part of travel preparation for all Australians heading to South Sudan. It should be arranged as far in advance as possible, ideally six to eight weeks before departure. The combination of year-round malaria across the entire country, mpox clade I transmission, multiple vaccine-preventable diseases, and limited access to healthcare infrastructure makes this one of the most complex pre-travel health preparations of any destination on earth.
Healthcare facilities in Juba are very limited. Emergency response and appropriate medical treatment are not available outside the capital. Medical evacuation insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance policies may not cover South Sudan as a destination, and those going may require specialised coverage. All prescription medications, antimalarials, and basic medical supplies should be obtained and brought from Australia.
Insect avoidance
Mosquito-bite prevention is important throughout the day and night in South Sudan. Aedes mosquitoes, which can transmit dengue and yellow fever, are mainly active during daylight hours, while malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes generally bite from dusk through to dawn. Sandflies that can transmit leishmaniasis are also found in parts of the country.
Apply an insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin to exposed skin and reapply as directed, particularly after sweating or washing. Covering the skin with long sleeves and trousers provides additional protection, especially from late afternoon onwards. Sleep under a permethrin-treated bed net wherever accomodation is not adequately screened. Travellers in rural, field, or bush environments may also benefit from treating outer clothing with permethrin before departure.
Food and water hygiene
Food and water hygiene is particularly important in South Sudan, where gastroenteritis, typhoid and hepatitis A are significant health risks. Local cuisine commonly includes sorghum, beans, fish, leafy vegetables and stewed meats.
Tap water should not be considered safe to drink. Use bottled, boiled or appropriately treated water for drinking and brushing teeth, and avoid ice from uncertain sources. Choose food that is freshly cooked and served hot, and avoid raw, cold or reheated foods that have been left at room temperature. Peel fruit yourself immediately before eating, wash hands with soap and water before meals and after using the toilet, and carry alcohol-based hand sanitiser when facilities are unavailable.
Rabies prevention
Rabies is a serious viral infection that attacks the brain and nervous system. It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite or scratch, but saliva contacting broken skin or the eyes or mouth can also cause infection. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal, so prompt treatment after exposure to prevent the disease is vital.
Rabies occurs in South Sudan, including among dogs, bats and other mammals. Because access to reliable post-exposure treatment is limited, particularly outside Juba, pre-exposure rabies vaccination is recommended for many travellers. Vaccination does not remove the need for medical care after an exposure, but makes post-exposure treatment simpler and easier to access.
Avoid touching or feeding animals, including stray dogs and wildlife. If you are bitten or scratched, or animal saliva contacts broken skin, your eyes or mouth, wash the area immediately and thoroughly with soap and running water and seek urgent medical attention, regardless of whether you have been vaccinated.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for South Sudan?
Yellow Fever
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Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into South Sudan. Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness causing fever, jaundice, and in severe cases haemorrhage and organ failure.
Vaccination is both a legal entry requirement and a personal health protection measure, given that yellow fever transmission risk is present within the country. The vaccine is given at a registered yellow fever vaccination centre, must be received at least ten days before arrival, and provides lifelong immunity in the great majority of recipients. A health assessment is required before the vaccine is administered, as it carries specific risks for certain individuals.
Meningococcal disease
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Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Parts of South Sudan fall within Africa's meningitis belt, where meningococcal disease occurs at rates significantly above the global average.
The infection can be fatal or cause permanent disability without rapid treatment. Vaccination with a MenACWY quadrivalent vaccine is recommended for travellers, particularly during the dry season from December to June when dusty conditions and crowded indoor environments increase transmission risk.
Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection transmitted through contaminated food or water, causing fatigue, nausea, and jaundice, with more serious illness possible in older travellers.
Vaccination is recommended for most previously unvaccinated travellers. Given the limitations on food and water safety across South Sudan, the risk of exposure is present in all settings, and two doses provide lasting protection. A travel health consultation is the appropriate time to confirm whether the course is complete.
Typhoid
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Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi in contaminated food or water, producing sustained high fever, headache, fatigue, and abdominal pain that can worsen significantly without antibiotic treatment.
Vaccination is recommended for most travellers to South Sudan. Food and water hygiene remains a necessary complement to vaccination throughout the trip.
Rabies
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Rabies is a serious viral infection that attacks the brain and nervous system. It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite or scratch, but saliva contacting broken skin or the eyes or mouth can also cause infection. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal, although prompt treatment after exposure is effective at preventing the disease.
Rabies occurs in South Sudan, including among dogs, bats and other mammals. Because access to reliable post-exposure treatment is limited, particularly outside Juba, pre-exposure rabies vaccination is recommended for most travellers. Vaccination does not remove the need for medical care after an exposure, but makes post-exposure treatment simpler and easier to access.
Avoid touching or feeding animals, including stray dogs and wildlife encountered during field activities. If you are bitten or scratched, or animal saliva contacts broken skin, your eyes or mouth, wash the area immediately and thoroughly with soap and running water and seek urgent medical attention, regardless of whether you have been vaccinated.
Mpox
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Mpox (formerly monkeypox) can occur in South Sudan and is spread mainly through close physical contact with an infected person or animal, including skin-to-skin contact, prolonged face-to-face contact, sexual contact, or contaminated materials.
Travellers should avoid close contact with anyone who is unwell with a rash, practise safer sex, and seek medical advice if fever, swollen lymph nodes, or new skin lesions develop during or after travel.
Mpox vaccination may be recommended for some travellers, depending on their activities and individual risk; a travel doctor can advise on whether it is appropriate.
Polio
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Polio is a viral infection that can spread through contaminated food and water. Although the risk to most travellers is low, vaccination is an important routine precaution when visiting South Sudan.
Travellers should check that their polio vaccinations are up to date before departure, with a travel doctor able to advise whether an additional adult dose is appropriate based on previous vaccinations and travel plans.
Cholera
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Cholera outbreaks can occur throughout multiple regions of South Sudan. Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae in contaminated food or water, producing sudden and profuse watery diarrhoea that can cause severe and rapidly progressive dehydration, becoming life-threatening without prompt treatment.
Oral cholera vaccine may be recommended by your travel doctor depending on the current situation and your travel plans. Careful food and water hygiene is an essential protective measure regardless of vaccination status.
Routine vaccinations
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Before travelling to South Sudan, travellers should review their routine immunisations and ensure protection against measles, polio, hepatitis B, influenza and COVID-19 is up to date.
Two documented doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) are recommended for international travellers born during or since 1966, while polio vaccination should be current and an adult booster may be appropriate depending on previous doses and itinerary.
Hepatitis B vaccination is particularly useful where medical care, blood exposure, sexual contact, or tattooing and piercing may be possible.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for travellers aged six months and over. COVID-19 vaccination should follow current Australian public health guidance, including recommended boosters for older adults and people with relevant health conditions.
Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis protection should also be checked, with a tetanus booster considered if the last dose was more than 10 years ago.
South Sudan
Other health risks in South Sudan
Malaria
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Malaria is a serious infection caused by Plasmodium parasites and spread through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, which mainly feed from dusk to dawn. In South Sudan, malaria occurs year-round throughout the country, with Plasmodium falciparum the predominant species and the main cause of severe disease.
Antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers and should be prescribed according to your health history and itinerary. There are a few options available, but others are not suitable for particular areas in South Sudan. Fill your prescription in Australia before departure, take enough for the entire trip, and follow your doctor's instructions carefully, as some medications need to be started before travel.
No antimalarial provides complete protection, so mosquito avoidance remains important. Any fever during travel or after returning from South Sudan requires prompt medical assessment, with your travel history clearly disclosed.
Sleeping sickness
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Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic infection transmitted by the bites of infected tsetse flies. These flies are found mainly in rural areas, particularly around rivers, woodland and savannah, and can bite during the day. Early illness may cause fever, headache, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes; without treatment, the parasite can eventually invade the brain and cause confusion, sleep disturbance and other neurological problems.
Travellers spending time in rural or wildlife areas should wear long sleeves and trousers and use insect repellent as an additional precaution. Tsetse flies can bite through thin clothing, so thicker, neutral-coloured clothing is preferable where practical. There is no vaccine or preventive medication. Anyone developing persistent fever or unusual neurological symptoms during or after travel should seek medical assessment and mention their South Sudan travel history.
Gastroenteritis
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Gastroenteritis and gastrointestinal illnesses are highly prevalent across South Sudan, with bacteria, viruses, and parasites in contaminated food and water producing diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting within one to three days of exposure. Oral rehydration using commercially prepared solutions is the cornerstone of treatment for uncomplicated cases, and most episodes resolve within a few days.
Medical attention should be sought without delay if symptoms are severe, persistent, contain blood, or are accompanied by high fever.
Dengue
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Dengue is a viral illness spread by Aedes mosquitoes active during daylight hours, causing sudden fever, severe headache, and significant muscle and joint pain. A proportion of cases progress to more serious illness.
Treatment is supportive; there is no specific antiviral treatment. Consistent daytime mosquito bite prevention is the main protective measure for most travellers.
Schistosomiasis
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Schistosomiasis (also known as bilharzia) is acquired when larvae released by infected freshwater snails penetrate intact skin during contact with contaminated water. Wading, swimming, bathing, or washing in contaminated freshwater streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, or untreated pools all carry a risk of infection.
The Nile River and its associated floodplains, lakes, and waterways throughout South Sudan present this risk. All freshwater contact should be avoided during the visit. No preventive vaccine or medication is available. Any traveller with freshwater exposure should seek testing on returning to Australia, where effective treatment is accessible.
Tuberculosis
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Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne bacterial lung infection spread when a person with active disease coughs, speaks, or sings nearby, producing a persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and gradual weight loss.
Travel to South Sudan increases risk of tuberculosis transmission, particularly compounded by population displacement, overcrowding in humanitarian settings, and disrupted health services. Travellers in healthcare, humanitarian, community, or close-contact working environments also face a higher risk.
TB screening before departure and on returning to Australia is advisable for higher-risk travellers. A cough that does not resolve after return warrants prompt medical review with travel history disclosed.
Ebola
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Ebola virus disease is a serious viral infection that can cause fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, bleeding and organ failure. It spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person or animal, rather than through mosquitoes or other insects.
Travellers should avoid contact with people who are seriously unwell, sick or dead animals, and potentially contaminated bodily fluids. Contact with bats and primates should also be avoided, including consumption or handling of bushmeat. There is no routine Ebola vaccination recommendation for most travellers to South Sudan; vaccination is generally reserved for specific higher-risk groups or outbreak settings. Anyone developing an unexplained fever or severe illness during or after travel should seek urgent medical advice and disclose their travel history.
Marburg virus disease
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Marburg virus disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever that can cause severe illness, including high fever, bleeding, and organ failure. It is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of infected people or animals, including fruit bats.
Travellers should avoid contact with bats, sick people, and potentially contaminated bodily fluids. There is currently no widely available approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Anyone developing an unexplained fever or bleeding illness during or after travel should seek urgent medical assessment and disclose their travel history.
Non-infectious conditions
Crime and unrest
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South Sudan has significant risks from armed conflict, violent crime, kidnapping and civil unrest, including in Juba. Conditions can change rapidly, with roadblocks, airport closures and border restrictions possible at short notice. Australians should follow the advice available at the Australian Govenrment's Smartraveller website, maintain appropriate security and evacuation arrangements, and ensure specialised insurance covers medical evacuation and other relevant risks.
Safety on the roads and elsewhere
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Road travel in South Sudan is hazardous, with few paved roads, poor maintenance, seasonal flooding and unpredictable driving conditions. Risks increase outside Juba due to checkpoints, roadside crime and conflict-related hazards, including landmines and unexploded ordnance. Travel should be limited to established routes and carefully planned with appropriate local security advice.
Deep vein thrombosis
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Getting to South Sudan from Australia involves long-haul flights through at least one major hub, commonly Nairobi, Addis Ababa, or Dubai, with total journey times generally exceeding fifteen to eighteen hours. Sitting immobile for these extended periods slows blood flow in the deep leg veins and raises the risk of clot formation in the deep veins, referred to as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Moving about the cabin at regular intervals, performing in-seat exercises including calf raises and ankle rotations, and drinking water consistently throughout the journey help reduce this risk. Travellers with predisposing factors, including a prior clotting history, recent surgery, pregnancy, hormonal contraceptive use, or significant overweight, should discuss whether compression stockings are appropriate with a travel doctor before departure.