South Sudan and WHO launch campaign to vaccinate 1.5 million children against polio

South Sudan, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), launched a new campaign on Friday with the goal of vaccinating 1.5 million children against polio after another polio outbreak.

Olushayo Olu, WHO Representative for South Sudan, said the campaign provides a greater opportunity for vulnerable populations to receive interventions that could prevent life-threatening diseases such as disability from polio.

“Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic and flooding sweeping across much of the country, the campaign provides a greater opportunity for vulnerable populations to receive critical interventions that could prevent life-threatening diseases such as disability from polio,” said Olu in a statement issued in Juba. .

This came from the confirmation of 15 cases of vaccine-derived polio in children under five years of age in seven counties located in the states of Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes and Eastern Equatoria.

It revealed that affected children have irreversible paralysis.

Olu revealed that polio is a preventable disease that no child in South Sudan should suffer from.

The WHO noted that the number of confirmed cases has continued to rise in recent weeks, adding that the first round of the campaign will target children in seven states and 45 counties.

He added that follow-up campaigns are planned to cover more states and counties.

Elizabeth Achuei Yol, health minister, said the campaign aims to contain the polio outbreak to protect other children in the country.

“We need to act quickly to prevent this outbreak from harming more children,” he said.

Achuei urged all parents to take their children to be vaccinated against polio, including those who have already been vaccinated.

“It is safe to get an extra dose and we want to make sure all children are protected,” he added.

Mohamed Ayoya, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan, said the vaccination campaign will help protect the country from future polio outbreaks.

“We must ensure that all children in South Sudan are subjected to routine immunization, which includes the polio vaccine, so that this does not happen again when the outbreak stops,” Ayoya said.

According to the UN, less than 50 percent of children in South Sudan are immunized against polio and other life-threatening diseases, putting them at risk of life-long disability and death.