South Sudan opportunity

“In South Sudan we are using drugs made by YRPG,” said Dr. Michael Milli Hussein, South Sudan’s Ambassador to China. “We would like some of these [Chinese pharma] companies to go and invest in South Sudan. We want them to lend their expertise and train some of our cadres.”

The ambassador from the world’s youngest nation and a doctor who has specialized in tropical medicine, Hussein is asking the Chinese Government to help build up the medical infrastructure in his country that was born less than five years ago, especially in view of Chinese medical cooperation with African countries after the Ebola outbreak last year.

“Currently, the Chinese Government is providing us with some training facility, medicines and equipment,” Hussein said. “These are areas we want to expand - from training doctors, nurses and midwives to helping us in institution building for health facilities.”

South Sudan’s healthcare system is three-tiered, with community clinics run by clinical officers as the basic unit. Then come the rural hospitals followed by state hospitals with more specialized treatments and senior doctors. “We want the Chinese Government to help us establish our primary infrastructure, and provide training and medicines as well as equipment,” Hussein said.

Like Ghana, South Sudan has a high incidence of malaria with the disease accounting for almost 30 percent of deaths, especially among children and the elderly. “China is a leading manufacturer of malarial drugs,” Hussein said. “We buy these drugs or get them as donations. Why not invite the companies to manufacture in South Sudan and ease the transportation issue? We are a young country with very flexible rules for investment. Companies can go for a public-private partnership or be the sole proprietor or have a joint venture.” sarkarbjreview@outlook.com