UNICEF airlifts more lifesaving vaccines to Sudan to fight concurrent outbreaks

NEW YORK (October 5, 2024) – A UNICEF-chartered plane carrying 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccines arrived in Port Sudan, Sudan, early this morning, to bolster efforts to protect children from the ongoing cholera outbreak affecting the country.

Since the current outbreak began in July 2024, over 18,000 cases of cholera and approximately 550 deaths have been reported in 10 states across the country.

The new batch of vaccines adds to the 404,000 doses UNICEF delivered to Sudan last month and will be used in the ongoing immunization campaigns. The campaigns aim to vaccinate 1.81 million people against cholera in the hardest-hit states: Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile.

Besides cholera, concurrent outbreaks of other diseases – such as dengue, malaria and measles – are taking hold in at least 12 of Sudan’s 18 states. Earlier this week, UNICEF delivered nearly 190,000 doses of malaria vaccines to the country to help protect children from malaria.

“Coming on the heels of war, displacement and famine, the impact of these epidemics could be catastrophic for children,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan. “Delivery of the vaccines to health authorities in Sudan and into the arms of communities most at risk is essential for stopping the spread of these deadly diseases.”

Ongoing disease outbreaks are pushing Sudan’s already fragile healthcare system to a breaking point and exacerbating weaknesses in the sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation, especially in overcrowded displacement sites and camps increases the risk of transmission. Children who have never been vaccinated and those suffering from malnutrition are particularly at risk.

“We need all hands on deck now to scale up our response, halt the cholera outbreak and other diseases, and protect the most vulnerable children,” said Mr Yett.

To step up its efforts to prevent famine and disease outbreaks in the next six months, UNICEF is appealing US$40 million to provide assistance in the affected areas.  

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Notes to editors:

Sudan is grappling with multiple disease outbreaks including cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles, and rubella. An estimated 3.4 million children under five are at high risk of epidemic diseases.

An estimated 3.1 million people, including 500,000 children under the age of five, are at risk of cholera between July and December 2024.

National vaccination coverage in Sudan has plummeted from 85 per cent before the war to approximately 50 per cent. In active conflict zones the rates are averaging at 30 per cent. According to estimates, more than 700,000 children in Sudan have not received vaccinations of any kind. The delivery of vaccine supplies and routine immunization activities have been hindered by security concerns and lack of access.

More than 70 per cent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are non-operational and frontline workers including nurses and doctors have not been paid in months.

UNICEF is implementing a multisectoral cholera response in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and WHO to control the outbreak in the affected states and to curb the spread of the disease.

In addition to procuring and shipping vaccines in partnership with Gavi, the vaccine alliance, UNICEF will provide four refrigerator trucks to bolster the cold chain and ensure vaccines are safely transported to health centers. UNICEF has similarly mobilized water, hygiene, sanitation and health supplies, services, and expertise. UNICEF engages communities through media and dialogues, door-to-door visits, and key messaging on the causes, symptoms, and prevention of cholera.

Multimedia content: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM4088E0GSV.

About UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.

UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information please contact:
Jenna Buraczenski, UNICEF USA, (917) 720-1432, jburaczenski@unicefusa.org