The doctor on a mission to build a healthier South Sudan | Yohanis Riek

The podcast features physician and social entrepreneur Yohanis Riek, who shares his journey from being a child soldier and cattle keeper to becoming the first doctor in his community in South Sudan. Riek discusses the challenges facing South Sudan's healthcare system, which is still young and lacks essential resources due to prolonged periods of war. He emphasizes the importance of community-led healthcare solutions through his non-profit, YoCare, which focuses on primary care services and infectious disease control. Riek highlights YoCare's community-based model, where locals are trained to provide medical services, citing the example of Lillian, a former patient who became a peer navigator. He also addresses the impact of abrupt USAID funding cuts on YoCare's operations and advocates for long-term, flexible, and collaborative partnerships with local leadership to build sustainable healthcare systems in low-income countries.