KHARTOUM, 1 August 2019 \u2013 For the first time in five years, UNICEF and partners were able to reach nearly 13 million children with vaccination in close cooperation with local health authorities and the World Health Organization including in areas where access was restricted for many years due to insecurity and conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the new window of access that allowed to vaccinate children in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. This will significantly reduce the risk of diseases spreading among children,\u201d said UNICEF Representative in Sudan Abdullah Fadil<\/p>\n
Kicking off in April, and despite ongoing socio-political uncertainty in the country, the campaign provided children under the age of 10 with vaccines against measles and polio combined with vitamin A supplement covering 18 states.<\/p>\n
Measles is the third cause of mortality among infants in Sudan. While the country has not seen a case of polio for almost nine years, certain factors put it at considerable risk of poliovirus importation and outbreaks.<\/p>\n
The risk of vaccine-preventable diseases among children in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States is high due to the decline in immunity due to insecurity and conflict in these areas.<\/p>\n