Bridging the Gap: The Critical Role of CPD in Regulating South Sudan’s Medical Practice

By Dr. Abdalla Majok Malual, B.PHARM, SRHR, MHSCM

Introduction

For a nation as young as South Sudan, building a healthcare system from the ground up is a monumental task. While the signing of the Nurses and Midwives Bill in 2025 marks a significant leap forward in regulating specific health professions, there remains a massive, silent crisis looming over the broader medical field: the lack of a structured system for Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

South Sudan is currently at a crossroads. On one hand, we are witnessing establishment of regulatory bodies like the South Sudan General Medical Council, and initialization of registration and practice license. On the other hand, once a doctor graduates and receives their license, what mechanisms exist to ensure their skills remain sharp, ethical, and up-to-date ten years down the line? Currently, the answer is: very few.

For South Sudan to move from simply having "warm bodies" in white coats to having a competent, safe, and world-class medical workforce, CPD is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity.

The Current Reality: A Workforce in Need of Structure

To understand why CPD is vital, we must look at the data. Historically, South Sudan has faced a crippling shortage of specialist doctors. A study mapping the workforce found that while there are approximately more than 500 Medical Doctors, an a quite numbers of Pharmacists and Dentists in the country with basic degrees, most lack postgraduate training.

For years, there was "no structured postgraduate programme or continuing professional development (CPD) system" for medical professionals to slot into. This means that many medical professionals have been practicing based solely on the knowledge they gained in medical school, which, in a rapidly evolving field like medicine, quickly becomes obsolete.

However, the tide is turning. Recent reports show that the South Sudan General Medical Council is becoming active. In 2025, over 120 doctors sat for licensing examinations after 19 months of practical training. This is the entry gate. CPD is the lifelong journey required to stay inside the gate.

What is CPD and Why Does it Matter?

In the global health context, CPD refers to the process by which healthcare professionals maintain and improve their knowledge, skills, and attitudes throughout their careers. It goes beyond simply reading a textbook; it includes clinical meetings, mortality audits, research, and ethics training.

For South Sudan, implementing CPD is crucial for three specific reasons:

1. Patient Safety and Quality of Care

The primary goal of CPD is to protect the patient. In South Sudan, where resources are scarce, mistakes can be fatal. Regular CPD activities, such as Mortality and Morbidity meetings; where doctors discuss why a patient died and what could have been done better, create a culture of transparency and learning rather than blame. Without CME/CPD, there is no mechanism to correct systemic errors or update doctors on new treatment protocols for diseases like malaria, Typhoid, TB, or emerging outbreaks.

2. Ethical Regulation and Professionalism

Regulation is not just about passing an exam once; it is about continuous compliance with standards. Looking at neighboring countries like Uganda and Kenya, CPD is mandatory for license renewal. If South Sudan wants its Medical Council to be taken seriously, it must follow suit.

CPD ensures that professionals adhere to ethics, human rights, and medical law. As the HPCSA (Healthcare Professional Council of South Africa) notes, a specific number of CPD credits must be in ethics to ensure practitioners respect patient rights. In a post-conflict setting like South Sudan, where trust in institutions is fragile, ethical practice is the bedrock of the doctor-patient relationship.

3. Combating the "Brain Drain" via "Skill Drain"

South Sudan has invested heavily in sending doctors abroad for training, but many do not return. However, a 2010 study suggested that specialists of South Sudanese origin working abroad could act as remote trainers to kick-start CPD programs at home.

By implementing a virtual or blended CPD system, South Sudan can tap into the global expertise of its diaspora without requiring them to move home permanently. This keeps local doctors connected to international standards.

The International Blueprint and Why It Works

South Sudan does not need to reinvent the wheel. Countries that were once in similar positions have provided a blueprint. For example, in South Africa, the Health Professions Council requires practitioners to accumulate 30 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) per year, including 5 specifically for ethics. Failure to do so results in suspension from practicing.

The World Health Organization and recent academic reviews confirm that for a Low- or Lower-Middle-Income Country (LLMIC), successful CPD requires three things:

1.  Leadership & Buy-in from the Ministry of Health and the SSGMC.

2.  A Framework that includes a needs assessment and a financing plan.

3.  Relevant Activities that address the specific health priorities of South Sudan (e.g., maternal mortality, trauma surgery).

The Path Forward: Making CPD Work in Juba and Beyond

Implementing CPD in South Sudan faces real obstacles: lack of internet access in rural areas, the high cost of training materials, and the heavy workload on the few available doctors.

However, solutions exist. The South Sudan Medical Journal has previously suggested practical, low-cost CPD activities that require no travel or expensive hotels:

• Weekly clinical meetings at the hospital to discuss challenging cases.
• Journal clubs where a doctor reviews a recent research article for their peers.
• Mobile learning (m-Learning) using SMS or basic smartphones for those in remote Health Centers.

Furthermore, the recent approval of the Nurses and Midwives Bill shows that the political will exists to regulate health professions. The same urgency must now be applied for the SSSGMC to draft the bill for the other allied healthcare professionals in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Stakeholders. Also, SSGMC is to enforce CPD regulations for doctors, pharmacists, and dentists.

Conclusion

South Sudan cannot afford to have doctors trained in 1990s standards practicing in 2026 without oversight. The establishment of the South Sudan General Medical Council is the first victory, but it is just the beginning.

CPD is the engine of healthcare quality. It transforms medical registration from a static piece of paper into a dynamic commitment to the people of South Sudan. As the country builds its health infrastructure, let us ensure we are not just building hospitals, but also filling them with professionals whose knowledge is as current as the paint on the walls.

It is time for the SSGMC to mandate CPD for all practicing medical professionals. The lives of our people depend on it.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and reflects the current state of healthcare regulation in South Sudan based on available reports and data.