South Sudan

Strengthening the Malaria Control Program in South Sudan

The Strengthening Pharmaceutical Systems (SPS) Program is working with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Government of South Sudan, to strengthen the capacity of the malaria control program to effectively plan, coordinate, and document control and prevention interventions in line with the national Roll Back Malaria strategic plan. SPS supports the MoH in strengthening pharmaceutical management systems, focusing on promoting effective management of medicines and supplies for malaria treatment.

With funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), SPS’s malaria program activities in South Sudan aim to support the MoH in—

Strengthening operational capacity of the malaria control and pharmaceutical management programs at central and state levels
Strengthening planning and coordination of malaria control activities at central and state levels
Scaling up implementation of effective malaria interventions: insecticide-treated nets and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs)
Strengthening malaria monitoring and evaluation systems at national and state levels
Developing and implementing standard operating procedures for pharmaceutical management
Developing and implementing initiatives to capacitate and license private pharmaceutical facilities for the improved provision of pharmaceutical services
Improving quantification, procurement, and distribution of essential medicines
Strengthening mechanisms for rational medicine use at health facilities through establishment of Drug and Therapeutics Committees
SPS uses a mentoring approach: technical staff are placed in key MoH departments to work daily with their national counterparts and build national capacity. The mentoring approach has been hailed as successful and adopted by USAID and other partners who support the MoH and other ministries.

Since 2005, the Rational Pharmaceutical Management (RPM) Plus Program, and now the SPS Program, has supported the MoH, Government of South Sudan, to increase the organizational, technical, and programmatic capacities of the malaria control and pharmaceutical management programs. RPM Plus/SPS has supported the MoH to erect and furnish an office for the national malaria control program, develop key malaria control policies and technical strategies, establish coordination mechanisms, mobilize financial resources, and set up a platform for scaling up malaria interventions.

SPS supports the MoH in strengthening the systems for procurement and management of essential medicines, focusing on ACTs. More than 400 in-service health workers have been trained in various aspects of pharmaceutical management and malaria control. The SPS Program is also providing support to the MoH in setting up a Monitoring and Evaluation System for the malaria control program and a Logistics Management Information System.

South Sudan in the News