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South Sudan on Tuesday launched a malaria vaccination campaign for some 265,000 children.
Malaria is the leading cause of death among children in the country.
The initiative is led by the Ministry of Health in partnership with UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The malaria vaccine rollout will cover 28 counties in six states.
Hussein Abdulbaghi Akol, vice president of the services cluster, said at the launch that the vaccine is mainly targeted at children aged 18 months to 5 years.
“The official launch of malaria vaccination efforts across the country is an important and encouraging step towards achieving a malaria-free South Sudan. The initial target of the malaria vaccination campaign is children aged 5 months to less than 18 years. This decision was based on the high incidence, morbidity and mortality of malaria in this age group,” Akol said.
Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng said 18 people die from malaria every day in the country.
“Despite our continuous efforts, malaria still poses a serious threat to our country. Every year, we face 2.8 million cases and 6,680 deaths, which is equivalent to 7,630 cases and 18 deaths every day. We lose 18 people every day. These 18 deaths are the vulnerable, mothers, children and the elderly,” Deng said.
“We are working to address a difficult issue, which is the introduction of vaccination for vulnerable children aged 5 to 18 months. These figures highlight the profound impact of malaria on our communities, especially on pregnant women and children under five years old. The introduction of malaria vaccines will begin in 28 counties across six states in South Sudan,” she explained.
UNICEF Representative in South Sudan, Hamida Raseko, said this major move makes South Sudan one of the pioneers in the global fight against malaria.
“After nearly six decades of research, the arrival of a malaria vaccine marks a major breakthrough in our collective efforts to fight the disease, control malaria and improve child health. This new malaria vaccine, combined with other preventive measures such as long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets, has the potential to save countless children’s lives every year, not only in South Sudan but across Africa,” said Raseko.
The highly effective vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India using an adjuvant from Novavax, is critical to reducing the more than half a million malaria-related deaths each year.
Malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death in South Sudan, especially among children. In 2022, the country reported an estimated 2.8 million cases and 6,680 deaths.
South Sudan has one of the highest rates of malaria in the region, with approximately 7,630 new cases and 18 deaths per day.
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