Uganda, South Sudan agree to ease cross-border activities during health emergencies
"The Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Uganda stand united in our resolve to strengthen cross-border collaboration, seamless information sharing, and preparedness and coordinated response to the public health threat," Akol said during the signing of the MoU.
Minister of Health Dr. Chris Baryomunsi and his counterpart Luke Thompson after signing the MoU in Juba. (Ministry of Health Photo)
JUBA - South Sudan and Uganda have agreed to remove administrative barriers to facilitate the rapid movement of health personnel, medical vehicles, and emergency supplies across their shared border.
The commitment was formalised Monday, September 7th, in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, when the two countries' health ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cross-border disease surveillance, joint outbreak response, and regional health security.
The Minister of Health Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, signed on behalf of Uganda alongside his counterpart, Luke Thompson Thoan, of South Sudan.
South Sudan's Vice President for the Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, according to news agencies, stated that the government will expedite temporary visa and work permit waivers to allow emergency personnel to move unhindered across the border to support joint surveillance activities.
"The Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Uganda stand united in our resolve to strengthen cross-border collaboration, seamless information sharing, and preparedness and coordinated response to the public health threat," Akol said during the signing of the MoU.
Minister Baryomunsi and his delegation visiting the Central Public Health Laboratory in Juba on Monday September 07th. (Ministry of Health Photo)
The event was witnessed by several development partners, senior S. Sudan government officials, as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Health, Kampala.
Under the pact, the two nations will exchange real-time epidemiological data, issue mutual outbreak alerts, execute joint contact tracing, standardise border entry screening, and coordinate mobile health unit deployments.
South Sudan's Thoan Teny said the MoU elevates bilateral cooperation from informal goodwill to an institutionalised rapid-response framework, and he cautioned that localised disease outbreaks can quickly escalate into regional emergencies.
Dr. Baryomunsi emphasised that the agreement is critical given the frequent cross-border movement and lessons learned from past epidemics.
He also noted that Uganda contained its recent Ebola outbreak within about 73 days, recording 20 confirmed cases, 18 recoveries, and two fatalities, and reaffirmed the country's readiness to share its containment experience with South Sudan.
Minister of Health Dr. Chris Baryomunsi addressing stake holders after signing the MoU in Juba. (Ministry of Health Photo)
He also called for broader regional cooperation, proposing the creation of a standby health workforce, similar to regional security arrangements that could be rapidly deployed to countries facing disease outbreaks.
On Monday, he visited the Central Public Health Laboratory in Juba “I'm happy to note that South Sudan is making progress as a young country.
Uganda shall continue to strengthen its partnership with her neighbours and will continue to contribute towards building the capacity of Africa's health systems,” he sates a post on social site X.
At the MOU signing ceremony, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention South Sudan Country Director Tolbert Geewleh Nyenswah said that South Sudan has identified 15 high-risk counties and 22 priority entry points as key components of its preparedness strategy.
Nyenswah noted that the country's updated six-month preparedness plan requires over 30 million U.S. dollars to bolster laboratory infrastructure, medical supplies, logistics, disease surveillance, and healthcare worker safety.