South Sudan launches second phase of R21 malaria vaccine introduction in 52 counties to protect children

Juba, 12 August 2025 – Malaria is endemic during all regions of South Sudan. As share of the efforts to prevent and maintain watch over this illness, the Ministry of Health, with strengthen from the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi and JSI, launched the introduction of the malaria vaccine in 28 counties with the very best malaria burden in July 2024. To increase get entry to and form out the rising number of deaths brought on by malaria, South Sudan is scaling up the provision of malaria vaccines to the remaining 52 counties with a target of reaching 324,571 children old-fashioned 5 to 23 months. Malaria continues to be a serious smartly being topic in South Sudan, with 5.5 million instances and over 4,000 deaths yearly. Find entry to to treatment, insecticide-treated mattress nets (ITNs), and vaccines is low, with the 2023 malaria indicator perceive showing a upward push in malaria prevalence amongst children old-fashioned 6–59 months from 32% in 2017 to 52.6% in 2023. placing a heavy burden on South Sudan’s fragile healthcare system.

This obligatory initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and backed by WHO, UNICEF, and diverse partners, is a straight away response to the alarming increase of malaria instances and associated deaths, especially amongst children below 5.

As share of the efforts to fight malaria, South Sudan introduced the R21 malaria vaccine in July 2024 with strengthen from Gavi. As of August 2024, 91% (503 out of 551) of the centered smartly being facilities during the participating counties efficiently acquired malaria vaccines. Out of these, 71% (356 facilities) have supplied knowledge on vaccine administration.

The malaria vaccine rollout, which centered over 265,000 children in the main phase, has completed partial success regarding first-dose coverage but faces vital challenges in ensuring completion of the plump four-dose agenda. From July 2024 to Might per chance per chance presumably presumably 2025, a total of 148,878 children acquired the main dose of malaria vaccine. Whereas this figure indicates moderate initial reach, the steep topple in the number of children who continued with the following doses reflects systemic points in observe-up and repair shipping. Of the children who acquired the main dose, most productive 83,668 (56%) returned for the second dose, 51,002 (34%) continued to the third dose, and most productive 11,370 (7.6%) done the final fourth dose.

“This steep topple out in the main spherical of vaccinations and the increasing malaria-associated deaths are concerning and highlight the urgent need for additonal measures, including improved provider shipping, defaulter tracking, community engagement, and observe-up mechanisms.” Acknowledged Honourable Sarah Cleto Rial, Minister of Health.

“We lengthen our gratitude to the Ministry of Health and all partners for his or her dedication and sustained efforts to combating malaria, especially with the scale up of malaria vaccines in this second phase” The scale up of this vaccine during the nation is a serious step in protecting our communities by reducing deaths, it’s miles a additional tool that complements our existing prevention interventions love mattress nets and antimalarial tablets.”

In the main quarter of 2025, WHO supported shipping of malaria commodities valued at USD 356,221, sufficient to take care of approximately 193,828 instances. The estimated funding required for malaria commodities in 2025 is USD 3,039,151, in response to a 28.6% malaria prevalence amongst 3.6 million other people centered below the Humanitarian Response Conception. As of March 2025, most productive USD 766,463 (identical to 25% of the total requirement) had been secured, leaving a in actuality intensive hole in operational ability. In addition, UNICEF via the strengthen of the Health Sector Transformation Undertaking (HSTP) facilitated treatment of 1,268,701 instances with first-line Antimalarial tablets (924,159 at Health Facility and 344,542 in the community below the BHI Program), supported the social mobilisation activities and distributed over 400,000 doses of R21 malaria vaccines during the 28 counties since the open in July 2024.

“The open of the second phase of the R21 malaria vaccine marks a pivotal step forward in our shared mission to protect South Sudan’s children from the devastating possibility of malaria. We are no longer correct delivering a vaccine; we are giving hope. Every limited one deserves a childhood free from malaria. The R21 vaccine will defend extra children from illness and loss of life, allowing them to live to enlighten the story, thrive, and shape the long flee of this nation,” acknowledged Noala Skinner, UNICEF Consultant to South Sudan.

The malaria vaccine has main doses administered at 5, 6 and 7 months of age with a fourth dose supplied at 18 months which coincides with the second dose of measles vaccine which the nation is introducing in August 2025. Children from 5 months to 23 months are target for the malaria vaccines and parents ought to aloof rob all children within that age bracket for the vaccine.

The implementation of the malaria vaccine scale up is an addition to many diverse suggestions the MOH and its partners are implementing to decrease malaria instances and loss of life in South Sudan. In the intervening time, the MOH, with strengthen from UNICEF, WHO, Gavi and International Fund partners, are planning for the mass distribution of 9.5 million long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in 2026.

For added information, contact:

Ministry of Health, Health Schooling and Promotion:

• Mary Denis Obat, mobat43 [at] gmail.com (mobat43[at]gmail[dot]com) / +211924887006

WHO South Sudan, Dialog Group:

• Alice Rutaremara, rutaremaraa [at] who.int / +211921887748

• Atem John Ajang, atema [at] who.int (atema[at]who[dot]int) / +211921736375

UNICEF South Sudan Communications Officer, 

• Richard Ruati, Dialog Specialist, UNICEF South Sudan, rruati [at] unicef.org (rruati[at]unicef[dot]org), Tel: +211 921 359 578