A coordinator of humanitarian health services in South Sudan said: “Existing programmes are on a precarious footing as a result of long-standing challenges, including insufficient domestic and international funding and critical implementation failures. The withdrawal of support from major donors—including USAID—has forced the closure of some health facilities, eliminating crucial lifelines.”

Date: 10/25

Region: Africa

Country: South Sudan

Topic: Health, Refugees & Displacement

Policy Lens: Global Health Security

Entry Type: Field Observation

Additional Context: South Sudan is currently facing a cholera epidemic. As of October 2025, 1,500 people have died and over 93,000 people have been infected with cholera. The outbreak, initially declared in Renk, Upper Nile State, on 28 October 2024, has spread to Malakal, Bentiu in Unity State, Aweil in Northern Bahr-el Ghazal state, and even South Sudan's capital, Juba.

The fragile nature of South Sudan’s public healthcare system is due to its reliance on external support, including former US foreign assistance. With the government allocating less than two per cent of its budget to health in recent years, the system is incapable of catering to the routine needs of its own people, let alone a robust emergency response. With cuts to US foreign assistance, programs that once staved off these epidemics have been terminated.

Source: MSF