South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The government has expressed deep concern over the rising number of new HIV/AIDS infections, attributing the annual figure which stands at 8,100 to limited funding for the health sector, political instability, and inadequate infrastructure.
Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, Vice President for the Service Cluster, said on Tuesday that approximately 140,000 people are currently living with HIV in South Sudan.
“South Sudan faces unique challenges that require tailored solutions. It’s crucial that we strengthen political leadership and ensure that HIV programs are fully integrated into national health initiatives,” said Akol during the dialogue on HIV prevention response held in Juba.
Akol emphasized that more work is needed to address gaps in the HIV response, particularly in terms of leadership engagement, coordination, and creating a supportive legal and social environment.
He also called for concerted efforts to reduce stigma, discrimination, and improving access to HIV testing and treatment, and putting in place a holistic community-based approach to prevention.
“We must ensure that HIV programs are not just for today but are sustainable and integrated into our broader health system,” said Akol.
He commended the South Sudan HIV Commission and the Ministry of Health including the Global Fund, UN, and other donor agencies for supporting HIV programs across the country.
Yolanda Awel Deng, National Minister of Health, said that the northern and central regions of the country have the highest rate of HIV infections due to lack of proper screening and treatment facilities.
“In these regions, even if someone tests positive for HIV, there are no services available to treat them. This disparity is partly due to outdated policies and inadequate infrastructure, which were designed to address HIV prevention in more populated southern areas but fail to meet the needs of the rest of the country,” said Awel.
Awel said that annual budgetary allocations to the ministry of health needs to be increased beyond the current 1.3 percent to effectively work to reduce and prevent HIV/AIDS infections in the country.
She called on the government and international partners to prioritize healthcare investment and increase both domestic and foreign funding to combat HIV, infant and maternal deaths, and diseases linked to climate change.
Dr. Esterina Novella Nyilok, Chairperson of the South Sudan AIDS Commission, said the HIV epidemic has persisted for far too long since independence of the country in 2011.
Nyilok said that they require 358.96 million U.S dollars to implement the 2024/25 South Sudan National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS, which aims to reduce HIV infections by 2030.
South Sudan’s HIV response is heavily reliant on donor funding, with international donors contributing 91.7 percent of the HIV-related budget.
The government’s funding towards the HIV response stands at a meager 3.8 percent, which primarily covers salaries of health workers.
“This heavy reliance on external funding makes our national response to HIV unsustainable in the longer term,” said Nyilok.
