Juba, 14 Could – Performing WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, arrived in South Sudan for an official one-day-visit to satisfy key stakeholders in an effort to ramp up help for well being help amid the continuing emergencies.
Dr Ihekweazu met with the Performing Minister of Well being, Honorable James Hoth Mai, humanitarian companions represented by Marie Helene Verney, Performing UN Humanitarian Coordinator, in addition to Timo Olkkonen, European Union Ambassador to South Sudan.
Since independence, South Sudan has grappled with a fancy, protracted humanitarian disaster that’s presently characterised by meals insecurity, malnutrition, displacement, and the erosion of livelihoods.
The heightened political stress within the nation this yr has deepened this downside. Since March 2025, tensions escalated in Higher Nile State, with clashes between authorities forces and armed teams. This has led to worsening struggling and deaths with compelled displacement together with assault on healthcare.
There have been eight separate incidents of assaults on well being amenities since January 2025, with well being employees killed, and hospitals looted. These occasions have immediately impacted on the entry to well being providers for 1000’s of civilians.
“I congratulate the healthcare employees for his or her dedication, compassion and braveness within the supply of well being service throughout these troublesome instances of disaster,” stated Dr Ihekweazu. “I thank the Authorities of South Sudan for his or her dedication to the well being and wellbeing of the individuals and our companions who’ve offered a lot wanted help to well being sector, Collectively, our unified entrance is the final line of protection in opposition to a preventable escalation of illness and instability. Continued, well timed help will protect laborious‑received positive factors and safeguard regional well being safety.”
WHO is supporting the Ministry of Well being to ship well being providers in any respect ranges together with with provision of direct operational help: deploying speedy response groups, prepositioning medical provides, coordinating outbreak response, and dealing facet by facet with nationwide and humanitarian companions. WHO additionally practice well being employees and the group to ship well being providers in hard-to-reach areas.
Dr Ihekweazu pressured that well being challenges proceed to extend and collaborative efforts together with elevated funding are required each domestically and from companions to make sure continued provision of Well being Providers.