Bringing Health Services Closer to Communities: The Contribution of the Boma Health Initiative to Primary Health Care Delivery

Download Report (PDF | 363.46 KB)

Community-based care refers to the delivery of essential health services at the household and community level through trained community health workers who serve as a link between communities and the formal health system. It is designed to bring health services closer to people, especially those living in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to health facilities may be limited. Communitybased care focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, early identification of health conditions, selected curative services, referral of patients, and follow-up support within communities.

In South Sudan, community-based care is implemented through the Boma Health Initiative (BHI), the national community health strategy launched in 2017 to institutionalize health services at the boma level as part of the formal health system. The initiative seeks to improve access to the Basic Package of Health and Nutrition Services by providing a platform through which trained Boma Health Workers engage communities, promote healthy behaviours, support service uptake, and facilitate referrals to health facilities. The BHI is intended to complement facility-based services and strengthen the continuum of care between households, communities, and health facilities.
This factsheet examines the role of community-based care in South Sudan through the Boma Health Initiative, drawing on emerging findings from the South Sudan Annual Health Sector Performance Report 2024/25 and the 2025 Health Statistical Abstract

Source: https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/bringing-health-services-closer-communities-contribution-boma-health-initiative-primary-health-care-delivery