New $5 million agreement to improve health facilities in eastern Sudan

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Sudanese Ministries of International Cooperation and Health have reached an agreement on improving health facilities and the quality of services provided by hospitals in eastern Sudan.

In a statement by the UNDP press office today says that the Support for the Improvement of the Practicality and Functionality of the Reference General Hospital in Port Sudan, Kassala and El Gedaref project is an unprecedented initiative to improve the health conditions of vulnerable populations, in the eastern states through upgrading of several hospitals and infrastructure -identified jointly by the Ministry of Health and the respective state authorities

The project also includes capacity building of national counterpart systems and human resources through the transfer of knowledge and technologies in areas related to hospital management skills, the UNDP statement says.

The project’s total budget of $5 million for a duration of three years, is funded by a contribution from the Italian Agency for Development Corporation (AICS), the UNDP and government of Sudan.

An event celebrating the signing ceremony was organised at the Ministry of International Cooperation premises attended by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Marta Reudas, UNDP Country Director Dr Selva Ramachandran, the Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Lobasso ,Director of the Italian Cooperation, Sudanese Health Minister Firdous Abdelrahman Yousif, Minister of International Cooperation, Ambassador Idriss Suliman and the Wali (governor) of Kassala state, Adam Gamaa.

Italian contribution

Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Lobasso stated that “We are very much committed to providing maximum benefit to the greatest number of people in Sudan especially in the area of capacity building and transferring of knowledge in Eastern Sudan. We wish to reiterate our support to the people of Sudan in all of our development interventions and we highlight value the current cooperation between us and the Ministry of International Cooperation.

Sudan’s Minister of International Cooperation Ambassador Idriss Suliman: “Medical Services are of significance importance to the state in line with our commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This project not only serves host communities in Eastern Sudan but also provides an important aid to the refugee camps present there. We would therefore wish to thank the Italian government and the Italian people for their generous contribution.”

UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ms. Marta Ruedas hailed the Italian Agency for Development Corporation’s  contribution to this project calling on greater partnership support for this project : “This project  aims primarily to alleviate the suffering of many urban and rural populations that use the three hospitals of Port Sudan Teaching Hospital, Kassala Reference  Hospital and El Gedaref General Hospital through the referral process. We are therefore looking forward to building more partnerships with potential donors to support these efforts for the benefit of the people all across Sudan, thus leaving no-none behind.”

UNDP Country Director Selva Ramachandran asserted: “This project is a culmination of a firm partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of International Cooperation that dates back to 2005. This successful collaboration stems from our commitment to health and development in Sudan which are two major pillars to our development work in the country. The project not only involves, addressing the upgrade of infrastructural facilities but it also includes  capacity building of national counterpart systems and human resources through transfer of knowledge and technologies, hospital management skills building and the upgrading of the infrastructural facilities.”