Sudan vaccinates 648,000 children against polio in White Nile state

November 14, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Health authorities in White Nile State, Sudan, announced Wednesday that a four-day polio vaccination campaign targeting 648,000 children under five is underway.

The campaign, launched on November 11, is part of efforts to combat a polio outbreak declared in January after a variant poliovirus was detected in Red Sea State.

The Federal Ministry of Health is leading the drive with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“As childhood vaccinations in Sudan have dropped to dangerously low coverage rates since the conflict erupted…we have been working on a series of campaigns to stop the outbreak in its tracks,” said WHO Representative in Sudan, Shible Sahbani.

The conflict has severely disrupted routine immunization, leaving children vulnerable to preventable diseases. Many health facilities are non-operational due to damage and staff shortages.

“When the delivery of essential health services breaks down amid the raging conflict, vulnerable children pay the highest price,” said UNICEF Representative to Sudan Sheldon Yett.

Previous vaccination campaigns this year have reached millions of children in other high-risk states. In June, a campaign across eight states reached more than 3.3 million children, and in August, nearly 2.2 million children were vaccinated in five states.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative supports the current campaign and includes community engagement efforts to maximize reach.