By Matik Kueth
The Ministry of Health has announced a significant adjustment to South Sudan’s Health Sector Transformation Project (HSTP), scaling down support for 101 health facilities and reducing non-core hospital services as a result of funding gaps and global economic pressures across the country.
Addressing a press conference in Juba on Tuesday, Sarah Cleto, the National Minister of Health, said that the changes, though difficult, are essential.
“This effort is necessary to protect the overall integrity and sustainability of the health system. Support will be withdrawn from 101 health facilities that were assessed as having low functionality, security challenges, or close proximity to other supported facilities,” Cleto said.
She added, “Six hospitals will scale down selected non-core services to concentrate resources on life-saving care.”
The three-year HSTP, launched in 2024 and running through 2027, aims to transition South Sudan from an emergency aid-dependent health system to a government-led, sustainable model.
The project ensures that “every South Sudanese, regardless of location, has access to a basic package of essential health and nutrition services.”
Since its inception, the Ministry has coordinated 1,158 health facilities, including four national referral hospitals and 11 state hospitals, in partnership with over 28 international and national NGOs.
Innovations such as biometric verification of health worker incentives and integrated human resource information systems have improved accountability, while strengthened logistics hubs, including the central medical store in Gumbo Riverside Warehouse, have improved the supply of medicines and diagnostics.
Despite these achievements, fiscal realities require difficult decisions, as administrative costs and in-service training expenditures will be reduced to prioritize medicines, frontline health workers, and direct patient care.
Minister Cleto called on state authorities to “mobilize local resources and partnerships to support facilities no longer covered under HSTP, to strengthen oversight by county health departments, and to work with security actors to guarantee the safety of health workers.”
“We are not merely spending resources. We are investing in a system that must endure beyond this project. We ask for the continued support of our leaders, our partners, and the patience of our people as we work together to build a stronger, more sustainable health system for the Republic of South Sudan,” she stated.
The HSTP is South Sudan’s flagship health reform program, uniting fragmented services, strengthening frontline care, and establishing long-term accountability and governance in the health sector.