UN: 5 million children in Sudan vaccinated against polio

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Jan 16, 2005 (AP) — A three-day polio vaccination program held across Sudan last week reached more than 5 million children aged under 5 years, the United Nations said Sunday.

A child is administered with a polio vaccine. (AFP).

The program, coordinated by the Sudanese Health Ministry, World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, was launched following the re-emergence of the virus last year. Some 112 people have been detected with polio in 17 of Sudan ‘s 26 states, including the three war-torn Darfur states.

Rebels and government forces fighting in Darfur since February 2003 agreed to lay down their weapons during the polio program to allow the vaccination to take place.

The campaign is the first of a series of national immunization days to be held throughout the country this year. A three-day vaccination campaign in southern Sudan is scheduled to start Monday targeting 1.9 million children.

The government and rebels in southern Sudan signed a peace accord last week to end more than 20 years of war.