The WHO Regional Director (RD) for Africa, Dr Luis G Sambo has arrived in South Sudan for an official visit and to orient himself with the health situation in the country. The Regional Director’s visit follows South Sudan shift from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to the WHO African region.

Dr Sambo was received at Juba International Airport by the WHO Head of Country Office, Dr Abdi Aden Mohammed, the Under Secretary, Officer in Charge also the Director General for Planning,

Budgeting and Policy, Dr Richard Laku, Dr Lul Riek Director General, Planning, External Coordination and Research and the WHO technical teams from the Regional Office for Africa and Eastern Mediterranean Region and the WHO Country Office, South Sudan.

The Regional Director thanked the Ministry of Health for the invitation extended to him to visit the country.

He later addressed the media and stated the purpose of his visit in to the country. “The purpose of the visit are two; one to upgrade the representation of the World Health Organization in South Sudan so that we have a full representation and two, to take over the country from the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to the WHO Regional Office for African region” said Dr Luis Sambo.

He hailed the health partners for supporting health services to improve quality and coverage and for contributing towards the reduction of Maternal Mortality Rates, which is a big problem for South Sudan.

The RD accompanied by the Minister of Health, Honorable Riek Gai Kok later paid a courtesy call to the office of the President of the Republic of South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit.

“The purpose of the visit are two; one to upgrade the representation of the World Health Organization in South Sudan so that we have a full representation and two, to take over the country from the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to the WHO Regional Office for

African region” said Dr Luis Sambo.

He hailed the health partners for supporting health services to improve quality and coverage and for contributing towards the reduction of Maternal Mortality Rates, which is a big problem for South Sudan.

The RD accompanied by the Minister of Health, Honorable Riek Gai Kok later paid a courtesy call to the office of the President of the Republic of South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit. “As Regional Director for Africa it was a great pleasure to visit the highest authority of this country, I thank the President, the government and the people of South Sudan for the visit” Said Dr Luis Sambo.

The RD said since the country attained independence in July 2011, the World Health Organization will now open a full WHO representation in South Sudan, this follows a choice made by the government to move from Eastern Mediterranean Office to the WHO Regional Office for African.

During the RDs visit, WHO will technically work with the MOH and partners to assess the situation of health in South Sudan while considering Maternal Mortality Rates, Child Mortality and Morbidity, Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDs, Neglected Tropical Diseases, risks of epidemics and other humanitarian emergencies. He also stated that WHO together with the Ministry of Health shall discuss national policies and discuss specific areas where WHO will strengthen its technical cooperation with the government and people of South Sudan.

He urged partners together with the WHO to boost the National Health Service in South Sudan particularly at a decentralized level and involve communities themselves in promoting health in preventing diseases. The WHO Regional Director for Africa and other technical staff from the two Regional Offices, will meet health staff, interact them in order to orient themselves with the health state and situation in the country.

Dr Lul, the DG of International Health and Coordination thanked the RD for taking time to visit South Sudan saying South Sudan needs the technical support and cooperation of WHO in order to improve health indicators in the country. The RD will meet with technical team from Ministry of Health, The HIV/AIDS Commission and Health Committee of the Legislative Assembly, the Chairperson of the South Sudan Aids Commission and will visit Nyakuron Primary Health Care Centre in the next days

In May 2012 South Sudan became the 93rd country to join the WHO member states and in September 2012, became the 47th African country to join the WHO African Region from the Eastern Mediterranean Office.