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As a strategy to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, confirm, and rapidly respond to public health risks and save lives, South Sudan conducted a Joint External Evaluation (JEE) for International Health Regulations (2005) from 16-20 October, 2017 at Juba Landmark Hotel. This is in-line with the IHR monitoring and evaluation framework. South Sudan is the 26th country to conduct the JEE process in the WHO Africa Region.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of South Sudan with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), held a two-day consultative multi stakeholder meeting from 18-19 October, 2017 in Juba for the development of an integrated Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH & N) strategic plan for South Sudan. The process is led by the Ministry of Health with technical support from the H6 partnerships including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UN Women and the World Bank.

The conflict in South Sudan has caused a public health crisis, exacerbating underlying health vulnerabilities and weak infrastructure in the country. With the start of the current crises, a new set of challenges emerged that jeoparadized the very core foundation of the health system and its ability to meet the most basic health and nutrition needs of the population. Health systems challenges such as inadequate human resources, health care financing, essential medicines and medical supplies, among others still persist.

Samples from patients in Seychelles suspected to be ill with pneumonic plague tested negative at a WHO partner laboratory in Paris, France on Tuesday, 17 October 2017. The ten samples were shipped by the Seychelles Ministry of Health and WHO to the collaborating centre for Yersinia at the Institut Pasteur to confirm the status of several suspected and one probable case – a 34-year-old Seychelles national who had returned from Madagascar with plague-like symptoms.