Health
South Sudan’s healthcare system faces significant challenges, including poor access to health services due to an acute health workforce shortage, inadequate infrastructure, and low health service utilization.
Maternal, infant, and child mortality rates are among the highest globally, and life expectancy is low at 56.5 years. Government funding for health is less than 2% of the national budget, making development assistance crucial.
Nutrition
South Sudan faces a severe nutrition crisis. As of 2021, about 5.8 million people (48.3% of the population) experience acute food insecurity, with 1.8 million in emergency conditions.
Malnutrition is critical, affecting 53 counties (68% of all counties) with 1.4 million children under five expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
WASH
In South Sudan, the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) situation is critical. Approximately 59% of the population lacks access to safe water, forcing families to drink dirty water and exposing them to waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhea—leading causes of death among children.
Poor hygiene practices further exacerbate the situation. Only 10% of the population has access to improved sanitation. UNICEF is addressing this by drilling boreholes, providing fresh water through trucking, distributing purification tablets, and promoting hygiene awareness.
