Juba – South Sudan faces recurring public health threats from infectious disease outbreaks to climate-related emergencies such as floods, drought and heat waves. As of August 2025, South Sudan had active outbreaks of Anthrax, Cholera, Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (cVDPV2), Viral Hepatitis E, Measles and Mpox. At the same time, floods had inundated 16 health facilities and displaced more than 56,000 households with nearly 200,000 people. Weak health systems, limited infrastructure, and a high burden of zoonotic diseases amplify the impacts of these risks. In turn, it’s essential that the country prioritizes building preparedness, preventive and detection capabilities as a strategy to mitigate the health impacts.

In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) country office, with funding from the World Bank, provided technical support and convening national partners to conduct a Joint External Evaluation (JEE). First convening in-country partners, the one-health department coordinated the JEE self-assessment. The JEE self-assessment repot was then subjected to an international peer review exercise facilitated by the WHO Emergencies Hub in Nairobi, Resolve to Save lives in Cairo and independent experts from several African member states. The JEE final report validated by the peer review mechanism became the blueprint and baseline against which the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) would be built.

In a six months interactive process, involving all the one-health line ministries, departments and agencies, a NAPHS was developed. The plan was informed by a) the experiences and lessons learnt from the 1st generation NAPHS that ended in 2024; b) the strategic aspiration of the country to improve the core capacities for IHR implementation over the next 5 years; c) dig deep into the key interventions and activities required to build the IHR core capacities; d) the desire to have a robust monitoring and evaluation framework that will be used to monitor implementation of the plan. The NAPHS was then subjected to a national peer-review and validation mechanism before it was adapted in May 2025.

The South NAPHS covering the fiscal years between 2025 and 2030 is a comprehensive, multi-sectoral roadmap to strengthen the country’s core capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies, in line with International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). It is a plan that embodies the spirit of “one-Health” integrating human, animal, and environmental health systems to address the major public health threats profiled in the country using the WHO strategic tool for assessing risk. The South Sudan NAPHS is costed and estimated to require US dollars 118 million. Fifty percent of the 5-year estimated budget is to cover interventions in the preparedness/prevention thematic areas. An additional 10% of the NAPHS cost estimates have been planned for strengthening surveillance and laboratory networking needed for timely detection of public health threats.

“The proposed NAPHS investment is projected to save the Country about 288 million dollars (135 million dollars’ worth of outbreaks prevented, 113 million dollars in outbreaks saved from early outbreaks detection and an additional 40 million dollars saved in efficiency and effectiveness of response” said Honorable Sarah Cleto Rial, Minister for Health.

The NAPHS (2025-2030) launched by the Minister for Cabinet Affairs, in the presence of the Ministers for Health, Livestock and Fisheries, Environment and Forestry, Agriculture and Food Security, Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, represents the highest level of political commitment to national health security and one health approach. The launching event was also timed to be one month before the 2024 amendments to international health regulations come into force in September 2025. But most importantly, the launch represented a flag off to immediate implementation of the NAPHS 2025-2030. The event ended with firm dates on the a) NAPHS resource Mapping workshop (in September), b) NAPHS annual operational planning workshop (also in September) and c) the NAPHS implementation tracker to be completed by October 2025.  

The WHO country office with support from the regional office and headquarters provided technical expertise, mobilization facilitation of the national and international peer reviewers, and facilitation of the entire development process. In turn, the South Sudan NAPHS is an evidence-based product as guided by the JEE findings, risk profiling based on the WHO strategic tool for assessing risk (WHO/STAR tool), NAPHS tool kit and NAPHS costing tool. Secondly, WHO in her convening roles brought together over 80 experts from human health, animal health, environmental health, and security sectors to design and co-create the 2025-2030 NAPHS for South Sudan. Third, WHO assured that the South Sudan NAPHs was aligned with Global Frameworks (2024 amended IHR, Global Health Security Agenda and the tripartite commitment to one health approach made by UN/FAO, OIE and WHO

“With the NAPHS and One Health Strategic Plan, South Sudan government has spoken and set a clear pathway to protect the health of its people, animals, and environment. This achievement is a testament to what strong government leadership, partner collaboration, and WHO technical support can deliver.” Said Dr. Humphrey Karamgi, WHO Representative for South Sudan.

South Sudan joins Eswatini, Ethiopia, Republic of South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda to complete the 2nd generation NAPHS. The Minister for Cabinet Affairs in his launching speech said “South Sudan is the youngest nation but stands tall in accepting challenges and proposals for national development. South Sudan is also aware that it must run, if it is going to reach where her sister nations are. In turn, he congratulated the Ministry of Health and the line-ministries for pushing the country to join the East African neighbours in the pride-parade of complete NAPHS” said Hon Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister for Cabinet Affairs

When fully implemented, the South Sudan NAPHS is expected to: 
•    Prevent the likelihood and reduce the consequences of outbreaks and Public Health Events (PHEs).
•    Strengthen and sustain national capacities for early detection, prompt response to PHEs and recovery
•    Expand and improve One-Health Multi-sectoral partnerships. 
•    Facilitate an enabling environment and restoring trust in the whole-of-society approach to PHEs management
•    To establish and maintain the core capacities at designated ports of entry for routine and timely detection and prompt response to any cross-border hazards.
•    To map and align existing and potential domestic and external resources for NAPHS implementation.
•    Develop an effective monitoring and evaluation system for health security.