By Sabri Dibaco
MTN South Sudan has officially concluded its 2026 edition of the annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign after handing over a series of healthcare interventions to Juba Teaching Hospital aimed at strengthening maternal and child health services and improving access to essential medical care.
The closing ceremony, held at Juba Teaching Hospital, brought together government officials; representatives of United Nations agencies, including UNICEF; healthcare partners; hospital management; and MTN employees.
Over the 21-day campaign period, MTN implemented several interventions designed to improve healthcare delivery, particularly for mothers and newborns.
These included the solarisation of maternal and newborn care units to ensure reliable electricity for life-saving equipment, restoration of the hospital’s CT scan machine to improve diagnostic services, provision of essential medical equipment, and introduction of digital health awareness solutions.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the director general of Juba Teaching Hospital, Lupai Anthony, commended MTN South Sudan for demonstrating that improving healthcare requires collective effort beyond government institutions.
“Healthcare does not belong to the Ministry of Health alone. MTN South Sudan has demonstrated that the private sector has a significant role to play in ensuring equitable healthcare services reach every corner of our country,” Lupai said.
He described the restoration of the CT scan machine as one of the campaign’s most important contributions, noting that repeated breakdowns had disrupted medical services at the hospital.
“This is not the first time our CT scan machine has broken down. Today, MTN South Sudan has shown us that their time is now, and they have stepped forward,” he added.
Lupai further encouraged private sector institutions, businesses, and development partners operating in South Sudan to emulate MTN’s example by investing in public healthcare facilities and supporting national efforts to improve healthcare access.
Addressing guests during the ceremony, MTN South Sudan said the campaign focused on creating lasting social impact through partnership, innovation, and community engagement.
Speaking under this year’s theme, “Connecting at the Roots: Connecting Communities Through Digital Tools,” the company said its interventions were intended to strengthen healthcare delivery systems while promoting sustainable solutions for communities.
“These interventions are intended to address challenges faced by healthcare facilities and improve communication between patients, mothers, and healthcare providers,” the chief mayor said.
He emphasised that sustainability remains central to the initiative and called for continued collaboration to ensure that the interventions continue benefiting communities long after the campaign’s conclusion.
Meanwhile, UNICEF welcomed MTN South Sudan’s contribution and praised employee volunteerism as an important driver of social change and improved healthcare outcomes.
Representing UNICEF, Jean Wilner Bassette said the partnership was helping strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare services while improving access to essential care.
“Your commitment to supporting maternal and newborn health is helping improve care for mothers and babies and bringing hope to vulnerable communities,” the UNICEF representative said.
Wilner Bassette also revealed ongoing collaboration with MTN to explore digital solutions that could support secure digital payments and improve service delivery to communities and frontline healthcare workers.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring mothers receive quality healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth and that children are given a healthy start in life.
MTN’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care is an annual employee volunteerism and corporate social investment campaign implemented across MTN’s operating countries.
The initiative encourages employees to dedicate their time, skills, and resources to community projects that create sustainable social impact.
In South Sudan, the 2026 campaign focused on maternal and child health at Juba Teaching Hospital, reflecting efforts to combine healthcare support with digital innovation to strengthen essential public services.