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Background
South Sudan became the newest country of the world on 9 July 2011. Despite this achievement, the nation still faces significant challenges. Over 80% of its population resides in rural areas, with limited social and economic opportunities.
Weak infrastructure, ongoing interethnic conflicts and economic constraints hinder health sector development.
Key health indicators remain among the worst in the world: maternal mortality is 1223 per 100 000 live births, under-five mortality is 99 per 1000 live births, and infant and neonatal mortality rates are 64 and 40 per 1000 live births respectively. Health services are under severe strain, with only 7.6 health workers and 1.4 health facilities per 10 000 people. Government health funding remains below 2% of the national budget, leaving critical gaps in service delivery.
Despite these challenges, there is evidence of progress. South Sudan has incorporated the malaria vaccine (MV) into its national immunization programme, thereby improving protection for young children. Efforts to strengthen governance, operational support and training for health care workers have enhanced the efficiency of immunization programmes and bolstered polio eradication efforts. Surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) has also improved, with the non-polio AFP detection rate exceeding 5 cases per 100,000 children under 15 years old, and stool sample adequacy reaching 95%.
However, ongoing humanitarian crises continue to put strain on the health system. Between April 2023 and December 2024, more than 900 000 refugees and returnees fled to South Sudan, driven there by regional conflicts, particularly in Sudan, with 82 516 crossing into Renk in December 2024 alone. By the end of 2024, South Sudan was host to approximately 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 680 000 refugees and 440 000 returnees. Severe flooding in late 2024 also affected 1.4 million people, displacing 379 000 people and damaging 58 health facilities.
The Government remains committed to improving health and well-being through its strategic vision for universal health coverage (UHC) and health security. The One Health strategic plan has been developed to address health threats at the human-animal-environmental interface. WHO continues to play a vital role in supporting evidence-based interventions to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
WHO has also strengthened the health data systems of South Sudan by deploying advanced dashboards to consolidate, analyse and visualize critical health data. These innovations support more effective decision-making, ultimately improving health care delivery and resilience in the face of persistent challenges.