Primary health care services have improved from covering 14 percent of the country in 2010 to 44 percent in 2012.
Director-General of Planning, Coordination and Research in the Ministry of Health, Lul Pout Riek, told CRN that South Sudan is now three-year polio free because of sustained commitment in child immunization, mobilization and health education.He said South Sudan now can be certified as a polio-free country, and the Governemtn has realized one of the big achievements towards the Millennium Development Goals.
Dr Riek said South Sudan has also made progress in the eradication of Guinea Worm with a 96-percent reduction.
He added that now the country is maintaining sustainable solid progress in the eradication of the Guinea Worm.
Dr Riek said lack of human resources is the biggest challenge the health ministry faces.
He added that the ministry is giving priority to train medical doctors, clinical officers, midwives, nurses and laboratory technicians.
Dr Riek explained that training medical personnel is a very difficult and long process.
He said South Sudan has 12 health institutions in the country.
This year the Government put health in the middle in the national austerity budget.