Ambassador David Ashley immunising a child in Wau County
Wednesday, 18 March 2026 | Author – Alex Onyango | Nairobi-Kenya |British Embassy| GT-News |
The UK ambassador to South Sudan has praised the impact of British-funded health programmes in Western Bahr el Ghazal, while warning that severe funding and infrastructure gaps continue to undermine care.
David Ashley, the British ambassador to South Sudan, visited Wau Teaching Hospital and Sika Hadid Primary Healthcare Centre in Wau, where he met patients, doctors and frontline health workers. Ambassador Ashley was joined by local officials, the Canadian Ambassador, Joanne Minns, and UNICEF’s Country Representative, Noala Skinner.
At Sika Hadid, the delegation observed immunisation and nutrition services supported by the UK through UNICEF. Mothers — including refugees and returnees who fled the conflict in neighbouring Sudan — had brought their children for treatment.
Ambassador Ashley administered a polio vaccine to one infant during the visit.
The UK says its support is helping improve maternal and child health, strengthen disease surveillance and boost the delivery of essential medicines across South Sudan.
But health workers told the delegation that the system remains under intense pressure. They cited a lack of salaries, chronic underinvestment, medicine shortages and unreliable electricity and water supplies as major obstacles to delivering care.
In response to concerns about power shortages, Mr Ashley said the UK would fund the installation of solar energy at Wau Teaching Hospital by the end of March.
He stressed that while international support remains vital, it cannot replace government responsibility.
“International assistance is important, but it should complement — not replace — the contribution by national authorities,” he said, calling on the government to invest more in essential services such as health and education.
South Sudan’s health system is among the most fragile in the world and relies heavily on donor funding, with many facilities struggling to operate amid ongoing economic and security challenges.
