South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The government in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will on Tuesday start rolling out the newly acquired R21 malaria vaccine.
According to a statement issued by UNICEF on Monday, the vaccine will target mainly children from 18 months to 5 years of age.
The initiative led by the Ministry of Health in partnership with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is expected to be officiated by President Salva Kiir Mayardiit.
The campaign aims to protect children across the country from malaria, a leading cause of illness and death.
On 31st May 2024, South Sudan received over 645,000 doses of the R21 malaria vaccine.
The vaccine was distributed to the 28 counties with the highest malaria burden, with plans to expand the rollout nationwide.
The highly effective vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, leveraging Novavax’s adjuvant is critical to reducing over half a million malaria-related deaths annually.
Malaria continues to be a leading cause of illness and death in South Sudan, particularly among young children. In 2022, the country reported an estimated 2.8 million cases and 6,680 deaths.
With approximately 7,630 new cases and 18 fatalities daily, South Sudan has one of the highest malaria incidence rates in the region.
