South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the Ministry of Health, on Thursday rolled out a mass immunisation exercise against measles, targeting 377,199 children aged between 1 and 4 years in Central Equatoria State.
Mr. Julu Louis Kenyi Joseph, the WHO Field Coordinator in Central Equatoria State, said that the vaccination aimed to bolster efforts to protect children from the deadly disease.
“Children among returnees and refugees have been the most affected, despite ongoing vaccination efforts at entry points. People are using unauthorised paths, and this complicates containment efforts,” Kenyi said.
Dr. James Wani Tom Abe, Director General of the State Ministry of Health in CES, underlined the importance of protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“We rally this much effort, partners, and resources to make sure that our children in Central Equatoria are protected,” said Dr. Wani.
He noted that the vaccination drive would help to reduce measles mortality in children under four.
“Our success lies in their trust in us to provide the vaccines and bring immunisation services to grassroots levels.”
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
Its transmission remains a significant issue in South Sudan, with most cases occurring during the dry season in the first half of the year.
Children aged 1 to 4 years are the most affected, while two-thirds of those infected have not been vaccinated against the disease despite ongoing efforts in the country.
Among the ten states affected by measles outbreaks, CES has seen a notable increase in cases, particularly in Juba County, due to the arrival of returnees and refugees from Sudan.
In an initiative to control measles outbreaks and enhance vaccination efforts, health authorities in CES are leveraging the momentum of African Vaccination Week to launch a follow-up campaign targeting children aged 6 to 59 months.
The goal of this initiative is to achieve at least 95% vaccination coverage for measles, strengthen routine immunisation services, and improve the skills of healthcare workers through training and technical support.
