Ministry of Health, WHO craft a four-year strategic plan

The Ministry of Health has teamed up with the World Health Organization to develop the second Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) for 2023–2027 to implement the second phase of the National Health Policy 2016–2026.

The plan aims at defining the strategic approaches, key interventions, resource requirements, and implementation framework to guide the Ministry of Health and partners in strengthening the health system to equitably deliver essential quality health services in the country.

“This strategic plan will leave a new legacy that access to lifesaving or health-promoting interventions is doable and possible,” WHO said in a statement.

The “process of developing the HSSP 2023-2027 began with a participatory situation analysis at national and sub-national levels, covering all the health system building blocks, including the various service delivery programs, and the social determinants of health to be more comprehensive and inclusive,” it continued.

The Director-General for Policy, Planning, Budget, and Research at the National Ministry of Health, Kediende Chong, said, “The HSSP 2023–2027 will guide all the investments by the Health and health sector partners to build a resilient and robust health system.”

“This strategic plan will leave a new legacy, demonstrating that access to lifesaving or health-promoting interventions is doable and possible. “It will make the health sector fairer, especially for those who are unable to pay,” stated WHO Representative for South Sudan, Fabian Ndenzako.

“WHO is committed to supporting the Ministry of Health and working with partners to ensure that South Sudan moves towards Universal Health Coverage,” Ndenzako added.

WHO added that the participants “will validate the situational analysis, generate consensus on the strategic objectives and interventions to address the emerging issues, identify the key performance indicators, as well as provide inputs for costing the strategic plan” during the 10-day consultative meetings.

“Improving access to health services and expanding coverage will only be achieved if adequate and sustainable financing is mobilized coupled with addressing the current health system bottlenecks at all levels,” stated WHO boss.

South Sudan’s health sector has been struggling due to lack of funding which complicates the bid to deal with various diseases.

During the 2022 Governors’ Forum, the national minister of health, Yolanda Awel Deng, faulted the reduction of budgetary allocation to the sector, saying the move could jeopardise the quest to achieve some important sector milestones.