South Sudan's road to universal health coverage: a slow but steady journey

Amidst the myriad of challenges that constrain good quality health care services delivery in the World’s youngest nation, South Sudan, there is a beacon of hope. The country’s revitalized peace agreement offers a new impetus for rebuilding the country, including its health system. Key achievements in the health care sector of the country such as development and implementation of a health sector strategic and health sector stabilization and recovery plans and implementation of a Boma Health Initiative programme which aims to scale up health services delivery at the community level provide a foundation on which acceleration of universal health coverage could rest. Other key achievements include polio-free certification of the country, significant reductions in the prevalence of Guinea Worm and other neglected tropical diseases and timely detection and response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Moving forward, attainment of universal health coverage in the country requires a strong and people-centred primary healthcare approach which will ensure that services reach the last mile. Bridging the humanitarian-development nexus is required to ensure accelerated recovery of the country’s health system. Furthermore, scaling up of community-based health initiatives such as the Boma Health Initiative as platforms for taking good quality health services to the hard-to-reach areas is imperative. This Journal Supplement highlights the key achievements and challenges on the road to universal health coverage in South Sudan and provides evidence-based information for rapidly scaling up health services provision.