Juba - On 7 July 2025 an extraordinary inter-ministerial meeting on Cholera convened at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. The high-level meeting was co-chaired by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hon. Albino Akol Atak, the Minister of Health, Hon. Sarah Cleto Rial, and the United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC) of South Sudan, Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho.

The meeting in a communique passed key resolutions including the pre-positioning of lifesaving supplies, the uninterrupted delivery of essential health and nutrition services in affected and at-risk areas, enhanced surveillance and early warning, the expansion of surveillance coverage and surge capacity for early detection and response. It also directed emergency WASH and risk communication interventions, oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaigns and resource mobilization and transparency. Two months since the adoption of these resolutions, the United Nations in South Sudan and the Government have reconvened a high-level meeting in Juba to review these resolutions.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Hon. Albino Akol Atak, during his remarks stated that: “In July we were concerned about both the cholera outbreak and the peak flooding season. As we reconvene this inter-ministerial meeting, progress on cholera and flooding response is clear—but challenges remain. With rains expected to affect 1.6million people and risks from population movement, strong collaboration is more crucial than ever,” said Hon. Atak. “However, challenges remain, particularly in hard-to-reach locations. Going forward, the Government is prioritizing stronger disaster preparedness, better coordination with states, and investing in systems that allow us to reach people faster and more equitably. Our focus remains ensuring that vulnerable communities are reached."

The follow up meeting aims to assess progress, identify gaps, and urge all stakeholders to intensify their response and mitigation efforts to protect vulnerable communities. The UN team, led by the DSRSG/RC/HC, Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho, met with several Ministers, including the Minister of Health, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, along with other senior Government officials.

Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho emphasized the importance of a multisectoral approach to address the health challenges the country is going through: " We are close to one year since South Sudan’s cholera outbreak was declared, we stand as one team. Cases fell from 600 to 200 a week, recovery is at 97%, and supplies are better prepositioned—proof that progress is possible together. But what is equally important is that today’s meeting has renewed commitments from all sides to shift from reacting to crises toward building resilience — ensuring that future floods or outbreaks do not hit communities as hard as they have in the past," said Ms Gbeho. “The UN is committed to supporting the Government of South Sudan in both immediate response and long-term resilience-building."

South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak in October 2024. Since then, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with other government institutions, with support from the United Nations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA and other partners have mounted a comprehensive response, including the deployment of rapid response teams, prepositioning of medical supplies, vaccination efforts and coordination across all levels, to protect communities and save lives. This is the worst cholera outbreak with high numbers of fatalities in the country’s history since its independence in September 2011.

Dr. Moses Ongom, the Officer In Charge at WHO Country Office in South Sudan, one of the UN agencies at the forefront of emergency response warned against complacency: “With case fatality rate declining, it is important to sustain momentum and keep in mind that Oral Cholera Vaccine protection wanes while unfortunately localized transmission persists. We recommend targeted and sustainable interventions—supporting local initiatives, safeguarding health facilities, and keeping cholera high on the agenda, “said Dr. Ongom.

As of end of August 2025, South Sudan has reported over 90,000 suspected cases and over 806 deaths (CFR: 0.9%). These cases have been reported from 55 counties, across 9 States and all 3 Administrative areas. In response, the country has successfully conducted Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaigns, which have reached 48 counties, with over 8.4 million doses administered, achieving 85% coverage.

The current rainy season and the ongoing insecurity are severely hindering cholera response efforts in South Sudan. It is obstructing the delivery of medical supplies and deployment of response teams, raising concerns about further transmission and undermining the progress the country has made so far in combating the outbreak.