JUBA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan, in partnership with United Nations agencies, launched the fourth round of the polio vaccination campaign on Wednesday, with the goal of vaccinating 3.47 million children between the ages of 0 and 59 months.
Harriet Pasquale Akello, undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, said the vaccination aims to eliminate transmission of poliomyelitis among children across the country.
"In light of our country's challenging conditions, we urge everyone to seize this opportunity. Every child under five must receive oral polio vaccines. Our goal is to stop the transmission of poliomyelitis," Akello said in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The campaign, spearheaded by South Sudan's Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), follows the recent confirmation of 36 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in eight counties of the country.
Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative for South Sudan, said the vaccination campaign is a significant step toward eradicating polio, a disease that no child should ever have to face.
"This campaign is a crucial step toward eliminating the outbreak and safeguarding every child from this debilitating disease. Because no child is safe, until all are protected, we continue to strengthen the cold chain system to maintain vaccine efficacy, mobilize communities and empower frontline health workers to reach even the most remote areas," said Obia Achieng, deputy representative of UNICEF.
In December 2023, South Sudan declared a public health emergency following the confirmation of cVDPV2 outbreak. This fourth round is the first of three national polio vaccination rounds that the country has successfully carried out in February, April, and November 2024.
