South Sudan secured over 282 150 doses of oral cholera vaccine to contain the cholera outbreak

Juba, 30 November 2024—In response to cholera outbreaks in South Sudan, the Ministry of Effectively being, with toughen from the World Effectively being Group (WHO) has secured over 282 153 doses of oral cholera vaccine to implement vaccination campaigns in areas identified as cholera transmission hotspots. 

The oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is supplied by the World Coordinating Community (ICG), which coordinates and manages the global stockpile of vaccines for countries for the duration of cholera outbreaks. These vaccines would perhaps be used to implement a two-dose mass vaccination advertising and marketing campaign in Renk and Malakal Counties of Upper Nile Remark. In the coming days, other doses would perhaps be shipped to toughen the response efforts in other affected locations. The vaccination advertising and marketing campaign targets to mitigate the cholera outbreaks in these areas. 

Procured and delivered by UNICEF’s Supply Division with the toughen of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the vaccines would perhaps be strategically deployed to Upper Nile Remark and other priority locations. This effort is part of a entire prevention and response blueprint geared toward addressing cholera, a excessive and preventable diarrheal illness, and safeguarding the well being of vulnerable communities.

Honorable Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister of Effectively being for South Sudan, emphasised that “cholera prevention is a priority in areas that have been prioritized for multisectoral intervention.” The OCV campaigns are supposed to defend vulnerable populations and support as a foundational step toward imposing sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.

Given the humanitarian crises in South Sudan and the ongoing cholera outbreaks pushed by restricted gain entry to to safe drinking water and dejected sanitation products and providers, a ring vaccination blueprint would perhaps be employed in the context of restricted resources to maximize the impact of vaccination campaigns to boot to to other response interventions together with enhanced cholera surveillance, patient care, possibility verbal exchange, and improved and sustainable WASH interventions. 

Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Marketing consultant to South Sudan, highlighted, “Although cholera is endemic in South Sudan, this time WHO and partners, along with the Ministry of Health, are better prepared to contain the outbreak and reduce the transmission through targeted interventions.”
“The strategic interventions include OCV campaigns in at-risk areas, training of state-level rapid response teams (RRTs), and prepositioning and provision of diagnostic test kits and essential supplies for managing patients. These measures have enhanced surveillance and enabled prompt responses to suspected and confirmed cases”, said Dr Karamagi.

“Cholera remains a major threat to the health of vulnerable populations in South Sudan, especially children and women. UNICEF is collaboratively working with the Ministry of Health and other partners to ensure increased access to life-saving vaccines through functional cold chain systems, improving water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as behavioral change efforts to address the root causes of this preventable disease. Together, we can protect communities and build a healthier, more resilient future,” said Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF Marketing consultant.

The Ministry of Effectively being will behavior vaccination campaigns in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, MSF and other well being sector companions in the affected States. 

Cholera continues to pose a most foremost public well being discipline in South Sudan, exacerbated by endured humanitarian crises affecting primarily children, ladies folk, and other vulnerable groups. The recurrent cholera outbreaks disguise the endured vulnerability of the inhabitants to the illness, which is preventable and treatable.

For more knowledge, please contact: 
Ministry of Effectively being: Mary Denis Obat, Email: mobat43 [at] gmail.com (mobat43[at]gmail[dot]com), Tel.:+211 924 887 006
WHO: Jemila M. Ebrahim, Email: ebrahimj [at] who.int (ebrahimj[at]who[dot]int), Tel.: +211 921 647 859
UNICEF: Richard Ruati, Email: rruati [at] unicef.org (rruati[at]unicef[dot]org), Tel: +211921-359-578