Poster for newly introduced vaccines. (Photo: UNICEF).

JUBA, (Eye Radio) – South Sudan’s national immunization program has introduced additional vaccines this year to protect children from measles, pneumonia and diarrhea, as the country marks African Vaccination Week.

The new vaccines introduced with the support of World Health Organization, UNICEF and global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) are the Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV), the Rotavirus vaccine, and the second dose of Measles-Containing Vaccine (MCV2).

PCV vaccine protects against infections caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). It is recommended for infants, young children, to prevent severe forms of pneumococcal disease like pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia.

Rotavirus Vaccine (Rota) is a live, oral vaccine used to protect against rotavirus infections, the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young children. WHO recommends that it be included in national immunization schedules, especially in countries with high rates of rotavirus gastroenteritis.

Measles Vaccine (MCV2) is recommended for all countries to include it in a second routine dose of measles containing vaccine (MCV2) in their national routine vaccination schedules regardless of the level of coverage with the first routine dose of measles containing vaccine (MCV1).

Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health Dr. Anin Ngot Mou highlighted the progress resulting from the Expanded programme on Immunization and called on the people of South Sudan to take an active role by getting vaccinated.

“As we observe African Vaccination Week, we celebrate progress while passing an important message to our communities that individual health is a personal responsibility. It starts with you,” Dr. Mou said.

“While the Government, through its health entities, is working to ensure protection from vaccine-preventable diseases by introducing these new vaccines, the responsibility to make use of them to protect yourself and your family is in your hand.”

From 24th to 30th April, South Sudan will celebrate African Vaccination Week (AVW) under the theme “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible”.

This year’s commemoration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which, over the past five decades, has driven progress in combating vaccine-preventable diseases, saving lives and promoting health.

In South Sudan, the country’s immunization programme has over the years introduced life-saving vaccines. BCG (tuberculosis vaccine), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), measles (first dose), and Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccines were first introduced in 1976.

This was followed by the introduction of the Pentavalent vaccine in 2015 and the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in 2016. Subsequently, the tetanus-diphtheria booster (Td) and second dose of IPV were introduced in 2021.

Most recently, the malaria vaccine was added to the routine immunization schedule in 2024.

Data from the WHO Regional Office for Africa shows countries in the region have conducted a wide range of activities including advocacy, communications, vaccination campaigns, and other high impact health interventions.

As a result, over the past 14 years, more than 180 million individuals of all age groups were reached with different vaccines; an estimated 120 million were reached with Vitamin A supplementation and 100 million children with deworming tablets.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is said to continue to advocate for immunization as a cornerstone of global initiatives aiming to rid the world of vaccine preventable diseases and achieve global health goals.

WHO Representative for South Sudan Dr. Humphrey Karamagi said vaccination is the most cost-effective tool to save lives and the “first line of defence for protection against disease.”

He said WHO commends the Government’s efforts and support by partners to ensure the successful introduction of new vaccines into South Sudan’s routine immunization programme.

“Prioritizing pregnant women and children will be key to building a safer and healthier population, helping us to save lives and build a robust health system,” said Karamagi.

According to a joint statement from UNICEF, WHO and Ministry of Health, immunization has saved more than 154 million lives over the past five decades—an average of over 3 million lives each year.

In Africa, immunization has saved over 50 million lives and data modelling shows that in 2024, a child under age 10 in Africa had a 50 per cent higher chance of surviving to their next birthday than they would have had in the absence of vaccination programmes.

“The introduction of these new vaccines marks a major milestone in South Sudan’s efforts to ensure no child dies or becomes sick because of a vaccine-preventable disease,” said said Noala Skinner, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan.

“As we commemorate African Vaccination Week and 50 years of immunization progress, we are reminded of the extraordinary power of vaccines to give every child a fighting chance. UNICEF remains committed to working with the Government and partners to ensure every child, no matter where he or she lives, is reached with life-saving immunization services.”

The joint statement said despite ongoing routine vaccination efforts, the program has faced numerous challenges during the reporting year, including outbreaks of measles, yellow fever, cholera, and cVDPV2.

It added that the influx of returnees and refugees fleeing the Sudan crisis, coupled with severe flooding and consequent internal displacement, has strained health systems.

To address the significant immunization backlog accumulated between 2019 and 2022, as well as to reach children who defaulted on routine vaccinations in 2023 and 2024, the government and partners have launched the ‘Big Catch-Up’ vaccination initiative.

This is aimed at identifying and reaching all children under the age of five (0–59 months) who have either missed one or more antigens or have never received any routine immunization doses.

Through this initiative, South Sudan is intensifying efforts to close immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, which remain a persistent threat due to low routine coverage in many parts of the country.

As part of the campaign, the Ministry of Health—working in close coordination with key partners such as UNICEF and WHO—is rolling out catch-up vaccination activities in 30 counties across the country.

These efforts specifically target 146,054 children who have not received a single dose of any routine vaccine with the full schedule of routine Expanded Programme on Immunization vaccines.