Vaccinating Children Amidst Insecurity in South Sudan

WHO, UNICEF and partners have reached 1.1 million children with the oral polio vaccine in South Sudan this November

ws20161125_southsudan — Children receive polio vaccination drops during a house-to-house vaccination campaign in Awiel, South Sudan. © WHO

The remaining hiding places of the poliovirus are those places where insecurity and conflict make it difficult to reach children regularly with the oral polio vaccine. This is why the three rounds of National Immunization Days in at risk countries such as South Sudan that have taken place this year are so important to protect more than 3.5 million children aged between 0 and 59 months across the country.

The third campaign of the year took place from 15 – 18 November, organised by the Ministry of Health with the support of WHO and UNICEF. “The commitment of health teams to reach as many children as possible in difficult circumstances is really to be commended,” said Dr Abdulmumini Usman, WHO Representative to South Sudan.

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