To strengthen preparedness and response to public health emergencies of international concern, South Sudan signed off and launched the One Health Strategic Plan and the 2nd National Action Plan for Health Security (2025-2030).The two plans are synergistic, build on evidence from the 2024 Joint External Evaluation and integrate human, animal, and environmental health to address public health threats, including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and response to natural and man-made disasters.
The documents were launched and signed off by Dr Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs in a high-level event in Juba, alongside his counterparts from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry with participation of key health development partners.
The launch of the One Health Strategic Plan and the 2nd National Action Plan for Health Security (2025-2030) will foster the multisectoral coordination, administrative and technical collaboration among animal, human and environmental health sectors to address potential zoonotic diseases and other one health threats.
In his remarks during the sign off event, Dr Lomuro said “the One Health Strategic Plan and the 2nd National Action Plan for Health Security will enhance preparedness and response to public health threats, safeguarding and improving the health for the communities, livestock, wildlife, and environment”. Dr Lomuro congratulated the Ministry of Health and the One-Health Department for making South Sudan proud in being the sixth country to complete the National Action Plan for Health Security in the Africa Region.
Honorable Sarah Cleto Rial, the Minister of Health appreciated the support received by her Ministry to deliver such strategic plans. She further emphasized that these documents are the governments’ one-stop centre that will guide effective coordination in building the country preparedness, investments in prevention, detection and management of public health threats.
Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan congratulated the government of South Sudan for completing the National Action Planning for Health Security at such a time when the newly adopted International Health Regulations (IHR) amendments will come into force. Dr Karamagi also recognized the Ministry of Health for the leadership and compliance with the global health security agenda and the newly amended International Health Regulations, which WHO secretariat considers as essential to preparedness and response to public health emergencies.
Dr Humprey Karamagi concluded his remarks by emphasizing that “the Strategic Planning is completed, and this event has flagged us off to implementation”. All line ministries, departments and agencies represented at this national event, from henceforth pledged to own these plans and embark on implementation of all the priority interventions in the two plans.
With the generous contribution of the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO) provided the technical support to the one-health secretariat at Ministry of Health, which was the center of all operations and processes that generated the two strategic plans.
The national launching event ended by laying out the way forwards given as a) Convening the NAPHS Resource Mapping Forum in no later than 2 months; b) Drafting of the Annual NAPHS Operational Planning by October 2025; c) Development of the NAPHS implementation tracker by December 2025; and d) Convening Quarterly NAPHS implementation review meetings as fora for progress monitoring and accountability.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – South Sudan.
