The national minister of health has said the government has stepped up efforts in procuring essential medicine for all health facilities to fill the void left by the Health Pooled Fund (HPF).
Speaking to journalists in Juba, Yolanda Awel Deng said the government is now in the process of procuring essential medicines and other medical consumables for the nation after the HPF withdrew its support to the country`s health sector.
“Health Pooled Fund was the one procuring all the essential drugs in the country. It was the one that was providing 90 percent of the incentives (for health workers) and at the same time supplying medical equipment but they withdrew their services about a year ago so there was a vacuum,” she said. “Now the ministry is trying to fill the gap. We will use the small operational cost that goes to most of the referral hospitals to fill the gap and at the same time we have got some donations.”
According to minister Awel, the government has also mobilized donations of medicines from other countries.
“I have gone to a few countries and I have got a few medicines that were donated which we are sending to the health facilities that do not have support,” she revealed. “In the meantime, the Government of South Sudan is going to procure essential medicines for all the ten states.”
The Health Pooled Fund (HPF) is a multi-donor program led by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with contributions from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors that has been supporting South Sudan`s health sector. It announced an aid cut about a year ago.