Juba, 11 November 2024: A nationwide marketing campaign geared toward vaccinating 3.3 million youngsters from 0 to 59 months of age towards polio launched in South Sudan utilizing the novel Oral Polio Vaccine sort 2. 

The marketing campaign led by the Ministry of Well being, with the assist of the World Well being Group (WHO), UNICEF, and different companions, is in response to the affirmation of 12 circumstances of circulating variant poliovirus throughout eight counties in Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Higher Nile, and Jonglei States. 

In South Sudan, immunization protection has been impacted by inhabitants actions and displacement associated to the continued humanitarian disaster, making it tougher to succeed in the youngsters who want vaccinations probably the most. 

The circulating variant poliovirus circumstances can happen when the weakened dwell virus within the oral polio vaccine spreads amongst people who find themselves not totally immunized. This type of the virus could cause paralysis. A number of doses of the vaccine will shield towards each wild and the circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Viruses.

“The resurgence of vaccine-derived poliomyelitis was a shock and an enormous setback to our milestone achievement and pleasure caused following the declaration of the nation wild polio-free in 2020,” stated Honourable Yolanda Awel Deng, Minister of Well being. “As a rustic, we’re leaving no stone unturned in our decision to cease the transmission of poliomyelitis. Immediately, we’re mounting this marketing campaign with the purpose of guaranteeing that each little one all over the place in South Sudan isn’t solely reached with these vaccines however protected towards the illness.”  

“The World Well being Group expresses profound gratitude to the federal government and folks of South Sudan, the beneficiant assist from the World Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partnership, in addition to well being companions for his or her unwavering assist and dedication to defending youngsters from polio,” stated Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Consultant for South Sudan. “This vaccination marketing campaign is a vital step in our mission to make sure polio, a illness that may be utterly prevented, would not threaten any kid’s life. This effort exhibits our sturdy dedication to making sure that no little one is liable to polio.”

“Each little one has the fitting to develop up free from preventable ailments, and polio is likely one of the most harmful but completely avoidable sicknesses. UNICEF reiterates its dedication to assist the Ministry of Well being and companions in delivering vaccines to each a part of South Sudan in order that no little one is left weak to polio,” stated Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF Consultant in South Sudan. 

In December 2023, South Sudan confirmed an outbreak of circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Kind 2 (cVDPV2) and declared it a ‘Public Well being Emergency’. To fight the resurgence of poliomyelitis within the nation, two nationwide polio vaccination rounds have been efficiently carried out in February and April 2024, vaccinating 3.3 million youngsters aged 0 to 59 months throughout every of the 2 rounds.

Concerning the circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus sort 2 (cVDPV2)

Circulating variant poliovirus circumstances can happen when the weakened dwell virus within the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) regains energy and spreads amongst people who find themselves not totally immunized. This type of the virus could cause paralysis. To forestall this, all youngsters should get the oral polio vaccine in the course of the marketing campaign, and in the course of the non-campaign time, it’s routinely given with different vaccines within the well being facility. Getting a number of doses of the vaccine will shield towards each wild and circulating variant polioviruses.

At the moment, paralytic polio infections are being reported in a number of African nations, together with Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Zambia and South Sudan.

For extra info, please contact:
Ministry of Well being: George Awzenio Legge, E mail: georglolegge [at] gmail.com (georglolegge[at]gmail[dot]com), Tel.: +211924324875
World Well being Group: Atem John, E mail: atema [at] who.int (atema[at]who[dot]int), Tel.: +211921736375
UNICEF: Richard Ruati, E mail: rruati [at] unicef.org (rruati[at]unicef[dot]org), Tel: 211 921 359 578