Funding Gaps Force Health Project Changes Nationwide

(JUBA COUNTY) – The Ministry of Health has announced adjustments to the Health Sector Transformation Project following a review that identified major funding gaps and operational challenges across South Sudan.

Health Minister Sarah Cleto Rial made the announcement during a media briefing in Juba, where she outlined changes aimed at keeping the national health programme running until its planned end in June 2027.

She said a mid term review carried out in December 2025 found that global economic pressures and limited public finances had reduced available funding for the project.

According to the ministry, 816 out of 1,158 health facilities received support during the first phase of the programme.

To ensure continued service delivery, the ministry has redirected resources to facilities with higher performance and wider community reach.

As part of the changes, support has been withdrawn from 101 health facilities that were found to have low levels of activity, security concerns, or close proximity to other supported centres.

The review also led to reduced support for six hospitals and a cut in incentive payments for health workers.

The briefing was attended by the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Kennedy Gaaniko Baime, the head of the National Assembly’s specialised health committee, Dr Benjamin Malek, and representatives from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Minister Cleto said she had informed all state governors about the adjustments and stressed that strong local leadership is essential for building a resilient health system.

She said the reforms are necessary to protect essential services and secure the future of the country’s health sector.

The minister urged state authorities and development partners to mobilise additional funding, strengthen supervision at county level, and improve security for health workers.

She also called for closer cooperation with security agencies to protect medical staff and facilities.

Minister Cleto said the government is working to move from an emergency, aid dependent health response to a sustainable and government led system.

She said this shift is central to improving access to health and nutrition services across the country.

The Health Sector Transformation Project is a national programme running from 2024 to 2027 and aims to ensure that all citizens can access basic health services regardless of location.

The project is funded by development partners including the World Bank, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Gavi, and the Global Fund.

It is implemented by the Ministry of Health and managed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF through 28 national and international non governmental organisations.

The organisations support the daily operations of health facilities in all ten states and three administrative areas.

Officials said the ministry will continue to monitor the impact of the changes and engage partners to stabilise funding and improve service delivery.