By Chol D. Johnson
The government will withdraw support from 101 health facilities assessed as having low functionality, as part of adjustments to keep the Health Sector Transformation Project (HSTP) viable.
Speaking on Tuesday during a press briefing, Minister of Health Sarah Cleto Rial announced that support will be withdrawn from the identified facilities. “As part of this adjustment, support will be withdrawn from 101 health facilities that were assessed as having low functionality,” she stated.
Cleto added that six hospitals will scale down selected non-core services to concentrate resources on life-saving care. Administrative expenditure and in-service training costs will also be reduced, with limited funds prioritized for medicines, frontline health workers, and direct patient care.
The briefing outlined the HSTP’s overview and strategic adjustments. “This is our flagship reform initiative aimed at moving South Sudan from an emergency, aid-dependent health response towards a government-led sustainable health system,” Cleto said. The HSTP is a three-year national roadmap (2024–2027) designed to ensure every South Sudanese has access to essential health and nutrition services.
She noted the effort is led by the Ministry of Health with support from partners including the World Bank, Canada, the EU, the UK’s FCDO, and GAVI, with UNICEF and WHO serving as management organisations. Implementation involves over 28 NGOs across the 10 states and three administrative areas.
Since inception, the Ministry has coordinated 1,158 health facilities, including four national referral hospitals and 11 state hospitals. Despite progress, Cleto highlighted fiscal realities, global economic pressures, and funding gaps. She stressed that aligning resources is necessary to sustain the HSTP through June 2027.
Cleto emphasized security challenges and proximity to other supported facilities, noting the decisions were not taken lightly but are essential for sustainability. She confirmed briefing all state governors and administrators, urging state-level ownership.
“We therefore call upon state authorities to mobilise local resources and partnerships to support facilities no longer covered under HSTP,” she said.
She further called for stronger oversight by county health departments, collaboration with security actors to protect health workers, and introduced biometric verification to ensure accountability in health worker incentives.
The system integrates the Human Resources Information System to guarantee accuracy in payments.
Cleto also highlighted reinforcement of the medical supply chain, including operationalisation of logistics hubs such as the Central Medical Store in Gumbo Riverside Warehouse and the Wau Regional Medical Store.