UNICEF, partners support mass vaccination campaign in Sudan

The UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF) and partners have started supporting a massive immunization campaign to vaccinate 7.9 million children against measles in Sudan in the wake of one of the worst outbreaks in the country in its recent history, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Thursday.

"West Darfur remains the worst affected state, and the immunization campaign will be a complex operation, as ongoing conflict in some areas of Sudan could restrict access," the spokesman said at a daily news briefing here.

The campaign, which was launched Wednesday, was intended to initially target 28 affected localities in six of the highest risk states in Sudan, before expanding to other areas identified as being at risk of an outbreak. In total, it will target 96 localities in 16 affected and "at risk" states in the country, UNICEF said.

The immunization campaign will be a complex operation, however, as ongoing conflict in some areas of Sudan could restrict humanitarian access. There are children in conflict zones in the Kordofans, Blue Nile and Darfur who have not received routine immunization since 2011.

UNICEF has called on all parties to the fighting to facilitate humanitarian access so that these children can be reached.

Children are most at risk of the disease -- children who are malnourished are even more vulnerable. In Sudan, some 36 percent of children are stunted and the country has one of the highest levels of malnutrition in Africa.

Of the total number of reported measles cases in Sudan, 69 percent are below 15 years of age, including 52 percent under the age of five. For malnourished children, measles can cause serious complications, including blindness, ear infections, pneumonia and severe diarrhoea.

The latest campaign is expected to cost approximately 3.9 million U.S. dollars.

Earlier this week, UNICEF appealed to all donors to make funding available to fight the outbreak, which is having a detrimental effect on the lives of children across Sudan and threatens neighboring countries. UNICEF, WHO and partners are coordinating with surrounding countries to stop this outbreak from crossing borders.

The measles virus is spread by respiratory transmission and is highly contagious. Up to 90 percent of people without immunity who are sharing a house with an infected person will catch it.

Earlier this month, the Sudanese Health Ministry received the second batch measles vaccine doses on Tuesday as heath workers prepare to launch a vaccination campaign in the country.

On April 6, 2 million measles vaccine doses arrived at Khartoum airport. It was the first batch of 9.6 million doses ordered by the Sudanese government with the support of UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) to carry out an immunization campaign after an outbreak in several states.

Since the start of the outbreak at the end of 2014 in Sudan, there have been 1,730 confirmed cases, 3,175 suspected cases and 22 fatalities. West Darfur remains the worst affected state, with 441 confirmed cases and five deaths. Kassala has had 365 confirmed cases and five deaths, while in Red Sea state there have been 263 cases and four deaths. Endite