New health center in Aweil West. (Photo: TPO).

The Health Pool Fund with funding from several western countries, has dispatched a final shipment of medicine to 512 facilities across seven states in South Sudan, statement announced.

The aid was delivered in an event witnessed by the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, British ambassador in Juba, the head of the Swedish Embassy, and Charge de Affairs of the Embassy of Canada.

It is the last shipment of Health Pool Fund, South Sudan’s largest health program, which is phasing out its operation in the country as the government takes over that responsibility.

The medical supplies will be distributed medical supplies to 512 facilities across seven states.

“South Sudan has some of the poorest health indicators in the world, such as one of the highest maternal mortality rates, low life expectancy, and poor access to health services,” HPF said in a statement.

“The country suffers from a limited supply of drugs and equipment, acute shortages in the health workforce, inadequate health infrastructure and poor health service utilization.”

The UK, US, EU and Sweden, together with the vaccine alliance – GAVI, came together to fund the Health Pooled Fund have collectively invested 600 million euros in the health service delivery since 2012.

Health Pooled Fund is due to close in 2024 and be replaced by a single national programme to fund health service delivery by applying the lessons and success of the ending project.

Donors aim to lessen the reliance on donor funding for service delivery with the government of South Sudan taking greater responsibility through increased domestic financing and freeing donor resources to development and strengthen the health system.

The three-year Health Sector Transformation Project replacing HPF is expected to kick off in July 2024 and shall be financed by the government and a group of donors.

The donors include the US Agency for Internal Development, World Health Organization, World Bank, UNICEF, Canada, and GAVI.

Other partners including the Global Fund, European Union, Health Pooled Fund itself, and UKAID, will channel the fund through the multi-donors Trust fund which will finance the 3-year project.

The total funding for the new initiative known as the Health Sector Transformation Project is projected at 157 million US dollars yearly.

According to the government, the project will transform the current health system into a harmonized and coordinated government-led system.