The Vice President for Service Cluster Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on Tuesday promised to push for the increment of budgetary allocation to the health sector.
Akol said during the launch of the three- year program of the health sector transformation in Juba that he will work with development partners to push for the increment of the annual budget for the health sector to 10 percent.
“The services delivery cluster under my leadership is strongly pushing for increment of the health sector budget to 10 percent of the entire national budget, I am consolidating together with other major stakeholders in the government to realize this universal health care budget,” Akol said.
He said that the current national budgetary allocation to the health sector remains extremely minimal.
Akol said that the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement has imposed huge burden on the government’s treasury, adding that such burden is denying vital service sectors such as health and education of enough funding.
Mutale Nsakashalo Senkwe, the Technical Officer for the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the health sector transformation project will help achieve equitable delivery of essential health services.
“This health sector transformation project provides opportunity to implement the health sector strategic plan 2023 to 2027 in a very holistic manner, it will help in equitable delivery of essential health services, strengthening health system and consolidating partnership towards achieving universal health agenda,” Senkwe said.
Yolanda Awel Deng Juach, the national minister of health appreciated the generous support of the international donors toward health sector, adding that the government needs the support of donors and private sector to provide much needed health care services.
“Health is not only government responsibility, it include everybody, it include private sector, community and individuals, we are going to target localization, sustainability and resiliency of the health care sector in south Sudan,” Juach said.
African Union member states met in Abuja, Nigeria, in April 2001 and committed to allocating 15% of their government budgets to health in what is termed as the Abuja Declaration.
