Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister of Health speaking during the launch of the national guidelines for the management of symptomatic sexually transmitted infections and HIV self-testing in Juba. April 7, 2022 - Courtesy

The National Ministry of Health said its assessment found that the northern part of the country – already battling floods and displacement crises – may be seeing a surge in new HIV infections as local healthcare support to fight the epidemic dwindles to zero.

Yolanda Awel Deng said health systems in the northern belt are receiving almost zero funding while people living with the virus there have no access to medication, a situation that endangers their lives and poses a serious risk of further spread.

She added that the influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan including rampant internal displacement caused by floods could yet raise infections’ prevalence.

Ms Awel said this is contrary to the situation in Central, Western and Eastern Equatoria and part of Warrap which benefit from the new health sector funding.

“Our data is not accurate, but it is actually scary, because like the northern belt of this country is where we almost have got zero support, but that’s where we have got high infections, new infections,” she said at a session of the High-Level Dialogue on HIV/AIDs prevention, in Juba.

“Now, coupled with the Sudan crisis, we have got fluidity of the border. We have got a lifestyle in the northern zone and central zone that is a nomadic lifestyle, intercommunal crossing over, and nobody knows their status.”

She said there are still a few testing centers for people who wish to know their status, but added that those found positive of the disease do not get any services.

“This is because all our services are concentrated in the southern area, especially like in Juba area, especially in Western Equatoria area, and a little bit in Eastern Equatoria, plus lakes, and one facility in Wau, maybe one facility in Aweil.”

On her part, Kiki Anita Gbeho, the UN Resident Coordinator of South Sudan, encouraged the government to demonstrates political will in reforming health system by strengthening data system for easy allocation of healthcare services in the states.

She called for the need of integrating HIV/AIDs agendas into community programs to enable access to services and mass creation of awareness.

“We continue to encourage the government to invest more in strengthening data, data sourcing, and management systems in general for HIV in particular, an environment that encourages and facilitates easy and equal access to HIV information and services for all the people.”

“Thirdly, the integration of HIV into all government and community programs including education, agriculture, food security, humanitarian responses, businesses.”

In the same event, Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi pronounced that HIV/AIDs remains a significant public health concern in South Sudan, with 8,100 infections in 2023 alone and a total of 140,000 people living with the disease.

The vice president stated that awareness campaigns must be initiated among communities to sensitize populations about the importance and treatment of the virus.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Awel has expressed dismay over the limited funding allocated to the health sector in the annual fiscal year budget, adding that the underfunding frustrates reforms implementation in the health system.

She underscored that the government allocated only 1.3 percent of the 4.2 trillion-pound fiscal year budget to the health sector, which is less than the 2% allocated in the 2023-2024 and will only cater for salaries and incentives of health workers.

South Sudan has some of the worst health indicators in the world, with the maternal mortality ratio estimated at 789 deaths per 100,000 live births, child mortality rate at 93 per 1,000 live births, and infant mortality rate at 60 per 1,000 live births.

According to Health Pooled Fund, access to healthcare service remains a challenge for many communities in South Sudan, and even reaching a health facility does not guarantee access to appropriate care.