Child receiving vaccination. (Photo: WHO)

The national Ministry of Health has pledged to strengthen its partnership with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to ensure sustained vaccine supply and protect children from preventable diseases across South Sudan.

The commitment follows a Wednesday meeting between the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Thok Turuk Thok, and a GAVI delegation led by Country Representative Colette Selma.

Deputy Minister Turuk described vaccines as essential for children, saying they play a key role in preventing diseases, and expressed appreciation for GAVI’s continued support to South Sudan.

Both sides called for stronger cooperation to ensure uninterrupted vaccine delivery across the country and full immunization coverage for children.

Thok Turuk Thok said the government remains committed to working closely with the Ministry of Health and partners to address challenges affecting vaccine distribution.

“We showed them our cooperation and committed to continue working closely with the Ministry of Health to make sure that the challenges they face are addressed, so that the supply of vaccines continues uninterrupted,” he said.

GAVI Country Representative Colette Selma said the alliance remains committed to supporting immunization efforts in South Sudan.

“We’ve been working together since the early 2000s to ensure that all children in South Sudan receive life-saving vaccines and support the health systems to deliver those vaccines,” she said.

“Gavi has just launched a new strategy, and we discussed it with the Ministry of Finance and our counterparts in the Ministry of Health to remind each other of our commitments. These commitments are to be translated into support for the children of South Sudan, no matter where they are,” she added.