Juba, 27 March 2017— The third National Health Summit for South Sudan opened today with some 500 participants coming together to consider the challenges and opportunities of delivering health in South Sudan, and to establish a clear vision for health in the years ahead. 

Organized by the Republic of South Sudan’s Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) is a key organizing partner. The five day event’s theme is “Harnessing Strong Partnerships for a Resilient Health System towards attainment of Universal Health Coverage.” 

Dr Riek Gai Kok, Minister of Health, convened the National Health Summit to foster common understanding on South Sudan’s new National Health Policy (2016-2026), new strategies, new financing mechanisms and new political developments to strengthen the national health system given available resources.

State of health in South Sudan

Ongoing conflict in South Sudan aggravates an already fragile socio-economic situation, affecting the overall health and livelihood situation further increasing the risk for communicable disease outbreaks and malnutrition. Humanitarian needs increased significantly over 2016. This was compounded in 2017 by the declaration of famine in Unity State, where 100 000 people face starvation and another 1 million are on the brink of famine.

“We are facing an immediate crisis from famine that requires immediate action by South Sudan’s health sector,” Dr Abdulmumini Usman, the WHO Representative to South Sudan. “However, the National Health Summit also must give voice to all of the 12 million people in South Sudan because this is a country facing a myriad of health crises from conflict to disasters to disease outbreaks impacting everyone,” Dr Usman said.

For the response to the famine, Dr Usman noted that WHO recently scaled up its response plans and is in the midst deploying additional personnel to South Sudan to help coordinate the response with the Government and partners. On the side lines of the Summit, a Famine Response Strategy is expected to be agreed to by partners. 

In South Sudan, some 5.4 million people are in need of health services, including 1.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 1.4 million refugees, and 648 000 children at risk of measles, among others. Communicable diseases are a leading cause of death and disease across the country. WHO estimates that 12.3 million people in South Sudan are at risk due to disease outbreaks. 

“Cholera, measles, malaria and other communicable diseases remain the key public health threats of concern in many locations,” said Dr Usman. “People are also dying from non-communicable diseases and from lack of care and medication. Plus we must better address helping the nearly 1.5 million people needing mental health services.”

Despite many challenges, the health sector has seen some recent successes. For example, in 2017, WHO supported the nationwide vaccination campaign against polio for 3 million children under age 5, including in famine-affected areas. WHO also recently supported a cholera vaccination campaign, including in famine-affected areas, and provided 68 967 doses of oral cholera vaccine to Unity State. 

WHO continues to work with the Ministry of Health and partners to develop local skills and knowledge, including training more than 1 300 health workers in such areas as disease detection, outbreak investigation and response. In 2016, WHO helped to identify, investigate and respond to 51 disease outbreaks out of 223 alerts, including outbreaks of cholera, measles, viral haemorrhagic fever, malaria and hepatitis E virus from multiple locations.

A Summit for the future of South Sudan’s health

Participation from the highest levels of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is expected throughout. Several Ministers of Health from neighbouring countries are attending. Representatives from key donors, UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia, civil society and others also joined the Summit’s opening. Dr Helen Rees, WHO Chairperson for WHO’s Africa Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group, will act as Chair of the Summit. 

At the Summit, South Sudan’s recently approved National Health Policy (2016-2026) will be formally launched. Recognizing the weak health system and drivers of poor health, the Policy will guide efforts to improve people’s health status. The Summit serves as the place to establish a roadmap to finalize the Health Sector Strategic Plan, which will operationalize the National Health Policy.

South Sudan’s health sector operations are extremely complex and challenging. To ensure greater coordination, identify gaps and needs, avoid unnecessary overlaps and be more cost-effective, the health sector’s coordination will be considered. Considering coordination efforts allows health sector partners to engage one another on their activities, plans and concerns. The aim is to ensure more efficient and effective approaches in more widely delivering health services across South Sudan in line with the new National Health Policy (2016-2026).

At the Summit, partners are expected to announce a variety of pledges, announcements and commitments to support South Sudan’s health sector and the people of South Sudan. 

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Jemila Ebrahim, WHO South Sudan, ebrahimj [at] who.int, +211 95 045 0007

Mr. Wynne Boelt, WHO, boeltf [at] who.int, +41 79 475 55592