Juba, Sep 3 (TIWN) South Sudan and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday launched a four-year national strategic plan to combat viral hepatitis disease.

Elizabeth Achuei Yol, Minister of Health, said that implementation of the new strategy will reduce transmission of the highly contagious disease, improve health outcomes, and contribute to attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

"The national strategic plan on viral hepatitis in South Sudan (2020-2024) is the first national health sector strategy on viral hepatitis. The strategy contributes to the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development," Achuei said in Juba.

She said that South Sudan has an estimated one million people infected and 250,000 infected with Hepatitis B and hepatitis C respectively, adding that 20 to 30 percent of those who become chronically infected with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) could develop fatal liver ailments.

Achuei said that the key objective of the strategic plan is to provide a coordinated, systematic approach of reducing mortality and morbidity due to viral hepatitis disease.