President Kiir meets Health Minister Yolanda Awel in Juba. (Office of the President/Facebook).

President Salva Kiir expressed concerns about the country’s current health situation and vowed assistance in addressing the issues facing the health sector for better provision of services to the people, according to his office.

A statement from the Office of the President said Kiir learned about the status quo after receiving a report from Minister of Health Yolanda Awel Deng on the country’s overall health situation.

The report “emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera, measles, and yellow fever to ensure the well-being of all citizens.”

Health Minister Awel is said to have stressed the necessity of raising public awareness and educating people about the value of good hygiene and immunization.

South Sudan remains prone to disease outbreaks, however, due to the country’s weak health and immunization systems, according to the US international development agency USAID.

The organization said that poor access to health services due to an acute health workforce shortage, inadequate health infrastructure and poor health service utilization, are some of the country’s poor health indicators.

The 2023-2024 national budget allocates only 2.1% of the total budget to health, which is far below the recommended level of 15% by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Abuja Declaration by the African Union Heads of State in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Minister Yolanda also informed the President about the impending ground-breaking ceremony for the second phase of the Juba Teaching Hospital building.

Furthermore, President Kiir reassured the citizens that his government is committed to tackling the country’s health issues and urged everyone to work together to create a healthier and safer nation.