South Sudan initiaties nationwide polio vaccination campaign
November 11, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan has launched a nationwide campaign seeking to vaccinate 3.3 million children aged 0 to 59 months against polio using the new Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2.
The campaign, led by the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund, and other partners, is in response to the recent confirmation of 12 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) across eight counties in South Sudan.
In a statement, Health minister Yolanda Awel Deng said that the campaign aims to ensure that every child in South Sudan is not only reached with these vaccines but also protected against the disease.
“The resurgence of vaccine-derived poliomyelitis was a shock and a significant setback to the ministry’s achievements, particularly after the country was declared wild polio-free in 2020,” she noted.
The Health ministry said the crisis has affected population movements and displacement in South Sudan, making it more challenging to reach children in need of vaccinations. It said that multiple doses of the vaccine will provide protection against both wild and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses.
“The World Health Organization expresses profound gratitude to the government and people of South Sudan, the generous support from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partnership, as well as health partners for their unwavering support and dedication to protecting children from polio,” said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan.
He added, “This vaccination campaign is an important step in our mission to ensure polio, a disease that can be completely prevented, doesn’t threaten any child’s life. This effort shows our strong commitment to ensuring that no child is at risk of polio.”
According to the WHO, cVDPV2 cases can occur when the weakened live virus in the oral polio vaccine spreads among people who are not fully immunized, potentially causing paralysis.
The UNICEF representative in South Sudan, Hamida Lasseko said every child has the right to grow up free from preventable diseases, noting that polio is one of the most dangerous yet entirely preventable illnesses.
“UNICEF reiterates its commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health and partners in delivering vaccines to every part of South Sudan so that no child is left vulnerable to polio,” she stressed.
In December 2023, South Sudan confirmed an outbreak of circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (cVDPV2) and declared it a ‘Public Health Emergency’. However, to combat the resurgence of poliomyelitis in the country, two nationwide polio vaccination rounds were successfully conducted in February and April 2024, vaccinating 3.3 million children aged 0 to 59 months during each of the two rounds.
(ST)