Public Health Leadership in Fragile States: Lessons from South Sudan’s Health System

This paper analyses the significant role of public health leadership in developing a resilient and effective healthcare system in fragile state, historical and political factors affecting health governance. The protracted war in South Sudan has negatively affected infrastructure, institution, and logistics for health commodities as well as resources availability; hence leading to worst health outcome indicators in the world. Nevertheless, South Sudan has achieved number of millstones such as eradication of guanine worms and controlling cholera outbreak. All these are attributed to strong leadership guiding the public health policy. The paper underscores the importance of decentralization of leadership-involving local healthcare providers and communities in administration and enforces accountability mechanisms. Similarly, the paper explores strategies to strengthen health governance such as decentralization, capacity building, and community engagement. In conclusion, good governance and specific reforms of the health agenda can make positive changes and build a resilient health care system that can deliver essential health care services despite all challenges that may exist