{"id":44905,"date":"2026-05-22T15:16:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=44905"},"modified":"2026-05-22T15:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:16:51","slug":"protecting-south-sudan-by-pausing-the-handshake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/protecting-south-sudan-by-pausing-the-handshake\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting South Sudan by pausing the handshake"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kiden Stela Mandela<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear South Sudanese and the people in this great nation,<\/p>\n

In our beautiful culture, a greeting is never just a word. It is a connection. To shake hands, to grasp another\u2019s hand firmly, is a compulsory mark of respect, warmth, and brotherhood.<\/p>\n

It is how we show that we are one people. But today, love for our neighbor demands that we express our warmth differently.<\/p>\n

Health authorities have confirmed an active outbreak of the dangerous Ebola virus right across our borders in neighboring countries.<\/p>\n

Because of our high population mobility and trade links, South Sudan is at an elevated risk. The threat is knocking on its doors, and people must act swiftly to keep families safe.<\/p>\n

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. In times like these, our traditional, physical way of greeting can inadvertently become a bridge for the virus.<\/p>\n

Pausing the handshake does not mean we are losing our culture; it means we are preserving our people.<\/p>\n

We must temporarily adopt alternative ways to honour one another, whether it is a respectful nod, placing a hand over your heart, or a warm verbal greeting from a safe distance.<\/p>\n

Beyond the pause of the handshake, our health officials have issued critical precautions that every single citizen must follow immediately:<\/p>\n

Regularly clean your hands with soap and clean running water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.<\/p>\n

Additionally, stay clear of anyone showing symptoms such as sudden high fever, intense body weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea, or unexplained bleeding.<\/p>\n

If you or a loved one feels unwell with these symptoms, do not hide. Immediately notify local healthcare workers or call the official national health hotlines. Early reporting saves lives.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, citizens must be extra vigilant if they live near border crossing points and cooperate fully with health screenings at our entry zones.<\/p>\n

Let us remember that keeping South Sudan safe requires a collective effort. One careless handshake can compromise an entire community. Conversely, one conscious choice to keep a safe distance can break a chain of transmission.<\/p>\n

Let us stand together as one resilient nation. Listen to the directives from the Ministry of Health, support our medical workers on the frontlines, and guard your household.<\/p>\n

We have overcome massive challenges before, and by strictly adhering to these health guidelines, we will protect our nation from this threat.<\/p>\n

Stay safe, stay vigilant, and may God bless South Sudan.<\/p>\n

Bod protect South Sudan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Be the spectator!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kiden Stela Mandela Dear South Sudanese and the people in this great nation, In our beautiful culture, a greeting is never just a word. It is a connection. To shake hands, to grasp another\u2019s hand firmly, is a compulsory mark of respect, warmth, and brotherhood. It is how we[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,90,119,80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columnists","category-commentary","category-health-2","category-national"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44905"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44906,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44905\/revisions\/44906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}