In 2025, South Sudan officially launched and signed off on the One Health Strategic Plan and the 2nd National Action Plan for Health Security (2025–2030), aimed at strengthening preparedness and response to public health emergencies of international concern. These complementary plans build on evidence from the 2024 Joint External Evaluation and integrate human, animal, and environmental health to address a range of public health threats, including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and responses to natural and man-made disasters.
The launch event in Juba was presided over by Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, alongside senior officials from the Ministries of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Livestock and Fisheries, Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Agriculture and Food Security, and Environment and Forestry, with participation from key health development partners. The plans are designed to foster multisectoral coordination, promoting administrative and technical collaboration among the human, animal, and environmental health sectors to effectively manage one health threats.
Dr. Lomuro emphasized that the plans will enhance South Sudan’s preparedness and response to public health risks, protecting the health of communities, livestock, wildlife, and the environment. He commended the Ministry of Health and the One Health Department for making South Sudan the sixth country in Africa to complete a National Action Plan for Health Security. Minister of Health Sarah Cleto Rial highlighted that these strategic documents will serve as the government’s central framework for guiding investments, prevention, detection, and management of public health threats.
WHO Representative Dr. Humphrey Karamagi recognized South Sudan’s leadership in implementing the global health security agenda and complying with the newly adopted International Health Regulations (IHR) amendments, emphasizing that the strategic planning phase is now complete and the focus will shift to implementation. Line ministries and agencies pledged to take ownership of the plans and begin executing the priority interventions outlined in both documents.
With technical support from WHO, funded by the World Bank, the One Health Secretariat at the Ministry of Health coordinated the development of the plans. The launch concluded by outlining next steps, including convening the NAPHS Resource Mapping Forum within two months, drafting the annual NAPHS Operational Plan by October 2025, developing an implementation tracker by December 2025, and holding quarterly NAPHS implementation review meetings to monitor progress and ensure accountability.
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