Sudan launches nationwide polio vaccination campaign for 11 million children
October 30, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s health ministry, backed by United Nations agencies, has launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting 11 million children to contain an outbreak exacerbated by the country’s ongoing war.
The initiative, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, aims to interrupt the transmission of a variant poliovirus that has circulated since December 2024.
Sudanese health authorities have confirmed poliovirus infections in six children and detected the virus in three wastewater samples in 2026.
The health intervention is part of a broader $2.9 billion humanitarian response plan for 2026, which spans multiple sectors including food security, emergency shelter, protection, and water and sanitation.
Humanitarian agencies face immense challenges delivering this cross-sector relief to a population grappling with severe hunger, collapsed infrastructure, and disease outbreaks.
More than 13 million people have been displaced since the conflict erupted in 2023, leaving children highly vulnerable to malnutrition and vaccine-preventable illnesses.
“In a country where conflict has disrupted essential health services and left many children without routine vaccinations, protecting children from polio is more urgent than ever,” said WHO Representative in Sudan Dr Abdinasir Abubakar.
The first phase of the campaign runs from Oct. 26 to 29, reaching 6 million children aged under five across 12 states.
A second phase in early November targets 5 million children in the five Darfur states and West Kordofan.
In Darfur, the target age group is expanded to children under 10 because of lower underlying immunity levels in the population.
The campaign uses the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).
Vaccination efforts are being coordinated with neighbouring Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan to prevent the international spread of the virus.
In Sudanese localities bordering South Sudan, health workers will administer both nOPV2 and bivalent oral vaccines to protect against a separate type 1 variant outbreak active across the border.
Transit point vaccinators will also be stationed along Sudan’s borders to immunize children from mobile and displaced populations.
Sudanese Federal Minister of Health Dr Heitham Mohammed Ibrahim commended health workers for their commitment to reaching every household despite pervasive insecurity and access barriers.
A second nationwide round of the vaccination drive is planned for late November.