MSF urges investment in vaccines, as South Sudan faces recurring deadly disease outbreaks

By Simon Deng

Charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Monday in a statement urged the government and partners to invest in large-scale preventable vaccines to effectively respond to disease outbreaks across the country.

Zakaria Mwatia, MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan, said they are advocating for closer partnerships among humanitarian actors in South Sudan to avoid preventable deaths.

“By working together with the Ministry of Health and humanitarian actors, we can prevent and respond more effectively to diseases outbreaks,” Mwatia said.

He disclosed that effective coordination among health partners is needed, as well as close collaboration with other critical sectors such as nutrition, food security, and water sanitation and hygiene.

“We must increase efforts to make sure that all children have access to life -saving vaccines. Investing in large-scale preventable-vaccines campaigns for all children can save money, time and lives,” he said.

More than 700,000 people have crossed the border since the Sudan conflict erupted in April 2023. In addition, about 1.5 million South Sudanese live in internally displaced camps due to recurring floods and internal conflicts.

Jatinder Singh, MSF Medical Coordinator in South Sudan, said malnutrition is rising and more people are exposed to fatal disease outbreaks, adding that forced displacement may result in incomplete routine vaccinations, putting both the displaced and host populations at risk.

“Malnutrition lowers immunity, making diseases easier to catch. It’s even worse for children living in refugee and internally displaced camps where contagious diseases spread due to malnutrition, overcrowding, and poor water and sanitation,” Singh said.

Singh said MSF supports the Ministry of Health in conducting large-scale vaccination campaigns, boost coverage, adding that the Expanded Immunization Program (EPI) should integrate vaccination into complimentary health activities such as nutrition services and sensitization session.

 “Children affected by malnutrition are at a higher risk of dying from preventable-vaccine diseases, including meningitis, measles, yellow fever, cholera and malaria,” Singh said.

The latest Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC) report found that 56% of the population is currently facing acute food insecurity, classed as crisis or worse.