Project profile — My Health, My Choice - Support to the Health Pooled Fund in South Sudan for COVID-19

• South Sudan (100.00%)

• Health: COVID-19 control (12264) (100.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)

As the largest provider of healthcare in South Sudan, the Health Pooled Fund is on the frontlines of responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Through this project, Canada’s contribution aims to help ensure that supported health workers and facilities are properly equipped to respond to, and protected from, the transmission of the virus. The project also supports public health promotion and education to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Supported by Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, the European Union and Gavi: the vaccine alliance, the Health Pooled Fund supports the delivery of basic health and nutrition services in hospitals, health facilities, and communities in eight of South Sudan’s ten former states. Canada’s contribution to the Health Pooled Fund helps support the empowerment of women and girls to access quality health services, including sexual and reproductive health services, free from discrimination, coercion and violence. This requires ensuring that quality, gender-sensitive health services, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, are available in facilities and communities, and by increasing knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and shaping positive attitudes and practices in order to support women’s and girls’ agency and decision-making power. This project builds on previous support to the Health Pooled Fund and is part of Canada’s commitment to improve the reproductive health and rights of women and children.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved provision of quality gender-sensitive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, that meet the needs of women and girls in targeted South Sudanese facilities and communities; and (2) strengthened respect and protection for women and girls’ right to health, including sexual and reproductive health, by communities and households in targeted areas of South Sudan.

Results achieved at the end of the project (December 2021) include: (1) strengthened COVID-19 prevention and response capacity in over 790 health facilities through infection prevention and control measures and improved patient flow; (2) enhanced readiness of more than 3,800 health workers in infection prevention and control and over 3,400 clinical staff in COVID-19 case detection and treatment protocols; and (3) improved awareness and early detection of 4,000 community-based health workers by disseminating over 10,000 COVID-19 information materials, establishing more than 160 screening stations, and supporting the investigation of nearly 600 suspected COVID-19 cases.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities:
• My Health, My Choice - Support to the Health Pooled Fund in South Sudan
• My Health, My Choice - Support to the Health Pooled Fund in South Sudan - monitoring