National forum of health sector partners sets the path for a resilient health system

10 October 2025
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Since April 2023 Sudan has endured devastating humanitarian crises due conflict, exacerbated by food insecurity, malnutrition, and multiple outbreaks including cholera and dengue. In 2025 nearly two thirds of the population (30.4 million out of a total population 47.5 million) need humanitarian assistance. Of these 20.3 million people need humanitarian health assistance for which 9.4 million are targeted by health cluster partners to receive assistance, with a funding request of 262million USD.

Within this urgent context, The National Forum of Health Sector Partners took place in Port Sudan on October 7–8, 2025, under the theme “Bridging Health from Response to Recovery and Sustainability.” Around 80 participants attended, including ambassadors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other countries, as well as government officials, UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society organizations.

The forum focused on strategies for rebuilding Sudan’s health system and advancing universal health coverage. Discussions emphasized the need to transition from emergency response to recovery, strengthen coordination, and promote resilience through inclusive planning, governance, and sustainable partnerships.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to “building back better” and ensuring equitable access to health services. They also highlighted the importance of national leadership in driving a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable health sector.

 

Photo: ©HealthCluster/Sudan 

Next steps agreed upon during the forum include:

  1. Establishing a coordination framework among the government, UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society to facilitate collaboration and communication.
  2. Forming a working group to develop a recovery plan aligned with Health Cluster priorities for the HPC 2026.
  3. Identifying a variety of funding and investment opportunities that will strengthen the health system and support long-term resilience.
  4. Organizing training sessions and workshops to enhance the skills of national leaders and stakeholders in inclusive planning and governance.
  5. Establishing a robust monitoring and evaluation system to assess progress on equitable access to health services and the resilience of the health sector.

 

Meeting report coming soon