By Sabri Dibaco
The Vice President and Chairperson of the Services Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, and the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to South Sudan, David Ashley, have pledged cooperation to strengthen the health and education sectors.
This step was reached during a meeting that discussed ways to improve service delivery, with a strong focus on the health and education sectors.
The meeting, held at the Office of the Vice President, was also attended by Sev Fouquet, director for humanitarian and development at the British embassy.
According to a press statement, the discussion centered on the urgent need to strengthen the country’s health and education systems, which were described as vital pillars for long-term stability and national development.
Both parties emphasized that meaningful progress in these sectors will require stronger partnerships and increased financial investment.
Hussein stressed the importance of increasing national budget allocations to health and education, noting that enhanced funding would enable the government to meet its commitments with development partners and support co-financing initiatives.
“The Vice President emphasized the importance of raising annual budget allocations for health and education to meet commitments with development partners and support co-financing efforts. He assured them that the government is committed to making these sectors a priority,” the statement partly reads.
The meeting also addressed the broader political landscape, particularly the need to sustain peace and stability as South Sudan prepares for upcoming elections.
The British delegation reaffirmed its continued support for peacebuilding efforts and inclusive dialogue.
The meeting concluded with both parties expressing a shared commitment to working collaboratively to strengthen essential services and improve the well-being of citizens across South Sudan.