South Sudan Private Health Sector Assessment

Located in eastern Africa, South Sudan is one of the world’s newest nations. Currently home to over 11 million people, South Sudan has faced multiple challenges in its first decade of independence: relapses of insecurity and conflict, global fluctuations in the price of oil that heavily shape its economic outlook, widespread poverty and food insecurity, and poor infrastructure that constrains economic growth and commercial activity. The public sector has limited health infrastructure and is heavily reliant on donor support, with projects such as the Health Pooled Fund (HPF) responsible for supporting much of the delivery of basic public services. This gap has limited access for many and resulted in generally poor health indicators. In addition, family planning (FP) uptake—which is very low—faces demand-side barriers, such as cultural norms supporting large families, lack of awareness, and high levels of myths and misconceptions about modern methods.