UN-backed measles immunization drive passes 1-million mark in Southern Sudan

A massive United Nations-backed campaign to stop deadly outbreaks of measles in Southern Sudan has passed a key milestone, with over 1 million children immunized since November in a region where less than 20 per cent of youngsters under five were vaccinated during the two decades of civil war that ended last year.

“This is the biggest public health initiative ever mounted in Southern Sudan and we congratulate all involved on reaching the 1 million mark,” UN World Health Organization (WHO) official Abdullahi Ahmed said of the campaign, which overall is targeting 4.5 million children under 15 across all 10 states of Southern Sudan.

The Mass Measles Campaign, a joint effort by the Federal Ministry of Health of the Government of Southern Sudan, WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) still needs more than $2 million in urgent funding to complete the task.

The rolling campaign has now begun in Unity State. “We can celebrate the fact that 1 million Sudanese children are already safe from one of the most common killers in Southern Sudan,” UNICEF Director for Southern Sudan Simon Strachan said at a weekend launch ceremony in Bentiu, the state capital. “But we need to keep pushing on to reach the goal of a measles-free Southern Sudan.”

Vaccination teams are already on the ground in the area around Bentiu and aim to reach 46,500 children in the county by the end of June.

During the war, thousands died annually of the disease. Despite major logistical and security challenges, since November the campaign completed the vaccination of about 1.08 million children in 13 counties in the states of Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei and Lakes.

Major donors to the campaign include the United States Centers for Disease Control, the UN Foundation (UNF) and the Governments of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia.

While most equipment and personnel are already on stream, urgent funding gaps remain for additional vaccines, social mobilization activities, cold chain equipment, transport and personnel costs. An additional $2.27 million is required to complete the campaign.