Between 1 April and 30 May 2023, a team of cyclists is taking on the challenge of cycling 7,700 miles: the distance and back between AID's HQ in Jesmond, Newcastle and the Jonglei Health Sciences Institute (JHSI) in Bor Town (Jonglei State), South Sudan. They are aiming to raise £7,700 to support the JHSI's crucial work of training healthcare professionals for South Sudan.

South Sudan has some of the worst health statistics in the world. 1,150 women die in childbirth for every 100,000 live births. In the UK the equivalent number is 7. And nearly 10 per cent of children die before their fifth birthday compared with 0.4 per cent in the UK.*

Former student, David Lado Chance, who is now working in Western Equatoria in the south-west of South Sudan, says of his training:

"The knowledge I acquired from the Institute is helping me save lots of lives in the community. Just recently, a neonate was brought asphyxic and comatose. The parents were already hopeless, crying for their beautiful and precious baby girl. In the midst of all this, I carefully reflected back to one of the lectures given by Dr Anil Cherian and was able to follow the correct steps of neonatal resuscitation. The baby breathed again and the parents were happy!

*World Health Organisation (2022) World Health Statistics, pp 96&97