Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister of Health. (Photo: Awan Moses).

The National Ministry of Health has signed a grant of 167 million US dollars from the Global Fund to fight the spread of tuberculosis, HIV and malaria in the country.

The three-year grant will be split up into 50.2 million US dollars for HIV and Aids, 53.3 million for Malaria, 17 million for TB, 23.5 million for Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health.

An additional 23 million for the COVID 19 response mechanism.

Known as GC7, or seventh Grant Cycle, this is the largest Global Fund contribution to the Government and people of South Sudan since Independence in 2011.

It is said to have drawn lessons from experiences in managing previous grants.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will manage a total of 116.3 million US dollars of the grant up from 104 million US dollars in the previous 2021-2023 implementation period, the highest amount under UNDP’s stewardship since 2011.

The funding aim so consolidate gains and strengthen the national response to HIV, tuberculosis and Malaria in South Sudan over the 2024-2026 period.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the National Minister of health, Yolanda Awel Deng assured the partners of accountable and transparent management of the grant.

“We are going to work with our partners here to make sure that the system strengthening, the enhancement, the localization and resiliency of the menstrual health system is adhered to.”

“We are going to follow public financial management reforms to make sure that in the future, we manage our own grant. We have to make sure we are accountable to that. We get, we have to make sure we are transparent.”