South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
South Sudan is commemorating African Vaccination Week (AVW) under the theme “Immunisation for All is humanly possible” coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the global Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).
The milestone reflects decades of progress in protecting millions from vaccine-preventable diseases.
In a statement yesterday, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Anin Ngot Mou, stated that the government will ensure access to vaccines.
“As we observe African Vaccination Week, we celebrate progress while delivering a vital message: your health is your responsibility, while the government ensures access to vaccines, the choice to protect yourself and your family lies in your hands,” Anin said.
Data from the WHO Regional Office for Africa shows AVW has reached over 180 million people across the continent with vaccines since 2011, alongside vitamin A supplementation and deworming efforts. In South Sudan, those efforts continue despite setbacks.
Challenges including disease outbreaks, mass displacement from the Sudan conflict, and climate-related flooding have tested the country’s fragile health system. Yet, immunisation campaigns have persisted across the country, even in hard-hit areas.
To recover from immunisation gaps caused by recent crises, the government launched the ‘Big Catch-Up’ initiative, targeting children under five who missed routine vaccinations between 2019 and 2024. The campaign is focusing on 30 counties and aims to reach more than 146,000 “zero-dose” children, those who have not received any routine immunisations.
Dr. Humphrey Karamagi, World Health Organisation Representative for South Sudan, said vaccination remains the most cost-effective intervention to save lives.
“Vaccination remains the most cost-effective intervention to save lives. Prioritising pregnant women and children is key to building a safer, healthier population,” he said.
Noala Skinner, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan said the introduction of new vaccines marks a major milestone in South Sudan’s efforts to ensure no child suffers from a vaccine-preventable disease.
“Every child, no matter where they live, deserves a chance to grow up healthy,” Skinner said.
Since joining the EPI in 1976, South Sudan has steadily expanded its national immunisation programme, adding vaccines like Pentavalent (2015), Inactivated Polio Vaccine (2016), and most recently, the malaria vaccine in 2024.
This year, the Ministry of Health, backed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is rolling out three more critical vaccines: Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Rotavirus vaccine, and a second dose of the Measles-Containing Vaccine (MCV2).
