Exterior view of the expanded Gumbo Central Medical Store in Juba, which adds 1,400 metric tons of storage capacity for essential health commodities. | Photo: Courtesy (MoH, August 20, 2026)

South Sudan’s Ministry of Health has officially inaugurated and handed over a new $365,000 medical storage facility in Gumbo, a move designed to strengthen the national health supply chain and significantly reduce reliance on expensive private warehouses.

Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF, the project adds approximately 1,400 metric tons of capacity to the existing Gumbo Central Medical Store.

The new warehouse will primarily house Malaria Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and other dry medical commodities that do not require specialized temperature-controlled storage.

The facility was officially opened by Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr. Francis Oromo Seriano, alongside the Deputy Chairperson of the South Sudan AIDS Commission, Dr. Mama Acol, UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abchir, and representatives from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Seriano emphasized that the facility addresses critical gaps in national health commodity management.

“This occasion represents an important milestone in our efforts to strengthen South Sudan’s health system and improve the availability of essential medicines and health commodities for our people,” Dr. Seriano said.

“It will provide improved storage conditions, strengthen commodity management, and contribute to ensuring that essential medicines and other health supplies are available when and where they are needed.”

Dr. Seriano also urged facility managers to enforce strict maintenance standards, robust inventory control, accurate forecasting, and efficient distribution protocols.

UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abchir highlighted the financial sustainability aspect of the project, noting that the warehouse was constructed using savings generated under the Global Fund COVID-19 Response Mechanism grant.

“Beyond the physical bricks and mortar, this is a strategic investment in South Sudan’s financial sustainability,” Dr. Abchir noted. “The resources saved from reduced warehouse rental costs can now be reinvested where they matter most—directly into frontline patient care.”

The Gumbo Central Medical Store currently serves as a primary distribution hub for HIV, tuberculosis, and laboratory supplies. With this new expansion, its scope will now include large-scale malaria supplies and general dry health commodities destined for health centers across all ten states and administrative areas.