JUBA — The World Health Organization and the University of Juba’s College of Medicine have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance research and improve the capacity of health professionals through internship programs.
Speaking during the signing ceremony on Tuesday, Prof. Robert Mayom Deng, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, said that the partnership will aid in generating evidence, producing quality research, and enhancing the capacity of health professionals.
He noted that the partnership will not only focus on generating knowledge but also on developing the skills of future health professionals, fulfilling a vision for a healthier South Sudan.
“If you look at it, both parties will collectively help to organize the need for cooperation towards the greater role of the academic community in health matters in South Sudan,” said Deng.
Kenneth Lado Lino Sube, the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Juba, disclosed their first milestone with the World Health Organization was the introduction of the national medical curriculum.
“This is now a legally documented relationship where we no longer go through the Ministry of Health but directly to the WHO. It will be a one-to-one relationship, and we will certainly do our best to dedicate our time and energy to ensure that whatever we are striving for is achieved,” said Sube.
Humphrey Karamagi, the country representative for the World Health Organization, stated that addressing health challenges requires constant data generation to provide the best possible evidence.
“The signing of this MOU is a very important step in the right direction for us. It represents a shared commitment to advancing health-related research, capacity building, and information sharing for data-driven evidence and decision-making,” said Karamagi.
“It means that we can tap into resources both here at the university and also in the field and at the community level, allowing us to generate evidence and use that evidence to inform the direction we need to take for our people,” he added.
Karamagi highlighted significant challenges facing the South Sudan health sector, including disease outbreaks, maternal and child health issues, and nutrition, among other aspects.
“We need to understand what is happening so that the limited resources we have can be directed towards addressing these challenges. That is why we believe that a partnership with the University of Juba is quite natural,” he remarked.
