With the theme The Massive Catch Up, South Sudan joined the remainder of the international locations in Africa Area to have fun the 2023 African Vaccination Week (AVW) from 24 to 30 April 2023.
This initiative is led by the World Well being Group (WHO) and carried out by international locations within the area to advertise the usage of vaccines and spotlight the collective motion wanted to guard folks of all ages towards vaccine preventable ailments.
AVW offers a possibility for well being staff and communities to be educated on the significance of offering vaccinations to people who’ve missed a number of doses inside the nationwide immunization schedule, figuring out eligibility, and correctly recording and reporting delayed doses. This occasion encourages leveraging each well being contact as a possibility to examine vaccination historical past and make amends for vaccinations as wanted.
This 12 months, the Ministry of Well being of the Republic of South Sudan with help from WHO and different companions launched a one-week occasion at Al Sabah Youngsters’s Hospital. A variety of actions was organized, together with high-level immunization campaigns and public schooling and information-sharing occasions. The nationwide measles marketing campaign was additionally launched to enhance exhausting immunity and attain the AFRO’s aim of measles elimination.
This partnership between the Ministry of Well being, WHO, and different companions, with the slogan ‘Vaccinated Populations – Wholesome Populations’ helps the nation maintain political commitments and lay a stable basis to ship high-impact interventions, increase consciousness, and create demand for youngster well being providers.
“Immunization saves hundreds of thousands of lives and is well known as one of many world most profitable and cost-effective well being interventions”, stated Dr Fabian Ndenzako, WHO Consultant a.i. in South Sudan. The AVW will increase consciousness on the life-saving worth of immunization, seeks to extend vaccination protection, attain underserved and marginalized communities significantly these residing in distant areas and save the lives of hundreds of thousands of youngsters.
Along with high-level immunization campaigns, different actions deliberate through the AVW embrace discuss exhibits, focus group discussions, and launching the Reaching Each Neighborhood/Reaching Each District guideline. Allow us to all be part of arms to guard ourselves and our communities towards vaccine preventable ailments by getting vaccinated!
Technical contact:
Dr Sylvester Maleghemi, E mail: maleghemis [at] who.int