South Sudan is significantly off track in meeting global health targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Vice President for Service Delivery Cluster Josephine Joseph Lagu said on Monday while opening the 2025 National Health Summit in Juba.
Representing President Salva Kiir at the meeting, Lagu said the latest health indicators presented at the summit paint “a clear picture that our current trajectory is insufficient.”
“We are off track from our global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said. “The statistics we have heard are not just numbers; they represent a collective call to action that we can no longer ignore.”
Lagu cited persistently high maternal mortality, preventable child deaths, and a severe shortage of health workers, currently 7.9 per 10,000 people, as evidence of a system “struggling from its very core.”
The vice president said the government recognises the gaps and pledged to prioritize health in national budgeting, promote cross-government action to address factors like water, roads, and education, and strengthen accountability and long-term partnerships.
“We must wean our system off its over-reliance on external support and build a sustainable, government-led service,” she said, adding that insecurity and underdevelopment continue to undermine delivery.
She urged participants to “move from diagnosis to prescription” and produce a costed roadmap that the government will consider “a blueprint for our collective action.”
Relatedly, Lagu launched three key documents: the Annual Health Sector Performance Report 2024–2025, the Health Statistics Report 2025, and the Trends and Deaths by Cause report for 2019–2024.
For his part, UK Ambassador David Ashley said international partners share the government’s concerns about South Sudan’s stalled progress on key health indicators and remain committed to supporting reforms.
He outlined progress made through the Health Sector Transformation Project but said persistent gaps continue to undermine the system, including staff shortages, delays in approvals, limited maintenance of equipment, and weak support for women’s health.
“Being frank, this level of dependence cannot continue,” he said. “There can be no higher priority for the government than the health and well-being of South Sudan’s men, women, and children.”
He added that renewed violence and destruction of health facilities this year have further derailed progress, stressing that “the first and most fundamental requirement is for peace.”
Meanwhile, UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abshir said South Sudan is at a “moment of profound transition,” shifting from years of humanitarian response toward sustainable development, and stressed that transforming the health system is fundamental to the country’s peaceful and prosperous future.
He said the summit’s theme aligns closely with the UN’s mandate, noting that health is inseparable from the Sustainable Development Goals and “the inviolable human right to dignity.”
He said equitable access to services strengthens social cohesion and trust in institutions, while resilient systems must withstand floods, conflict, and supply-chain disruptions. He also urged predictable financing aligned with national priorities, saying every resource must be used optimally at a time of declining global aid.
He concluded by stressing that progress in health depends on peace, urging renewed dialogue and commitment to the revitalized peace agreement.
“The UN family reaffirms its unwavering commitment to walk this path with the government,” he said.
On his part, WHO Country Representative Dr. Humphrey Karamagi said the summit marks a rare and important moment where all national and international health actors are “in one room” reflecting on the state of South Sudan’s health system.
He described the gathering as a shift from fragmented efforts to “a synchronized national movement for health,” saying it is essential for accountability to citizens who need care.
Karamagi said the country’s health landscape remains highly dynamic—shaped by emergencies, population movements, and cross-border disease threats—but noted that recent successful responses, including containing a multi-focal cholera outbreak within 12 months, show that “a certain resilience” exists within the system.
He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to support the government with technical expertise and evidence-based planning, saying the new performance, statistics, and mortality reports offer a “clear and honest look” at the sector’s gaps and priorities.
However, he cautioned that there are “no magic bullets” and urged simultaneous progress on financing, workforce, infrastructure, medicines, governance, and data systems.
“We might build the best hospitals tomorrow, but if we don’t have the medicines, the staff, or the systems, we will still not achieve the results we need,” he said.