JUBA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Monday launched and formalized One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism (MCM) platform aimed at providing joint efforts from the government and partners in mitigating the health crisis in the country.

Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister for Health, said the initiative aims at providing coordinated efforts from the government and its partners in responding to the health crises and for future mitigation of similar crises.

"This one health stop coordination platform is going to help us in regards to the inclusive process to mitigate any health crisis in the country because there is no one health issue that is in isolation, for example, the cholera outbreak in PoC in Malakal and in Malakal town that alone shows that two-three line ministries have to come together and then they have got one strategy that is going to mitigate like a future crisis," Awel said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan during the launch.

She said the platform is going to be a coordination body that is going to help the government to utilize the little resources they have and the resources from the donors to be utilized properly.

Awel noted that the platform was supposed to be initiated in 2020 but was interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, pledged to support the initiative with the support of the president in order to secure the health of the South Sudanese and the environment.

"As a minister for cabinet affairs I will work with the president to ensure the platform is given maximum support and if technically needed we will also be all round we can do what is necessary to secure the health of our people, the health of our environment and health of our animals both domestic and wildlife," Elia said.

The South Sudan One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism Platform brings together all the key line ministries and agencies responsible for human, animal and environmental health coordination.

Effective and sustainable preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters requires a whole of society response that includes key sectors and agencies. - Xinhua