WHO reaches 1.1 mln S. Sudan children with oral polio vaccines

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) said it has reached an estimated 1.1 million South Sudanese children with oral polio vaccines despite the ongoing unrest across the world's youngest nation.

WHO said in a statement received on Saturday that the third round of the National Immunization Days of 2016 campaign is being implemented across South Sudan to ensure the continuation of immunization activities targeting more than 3.5 million children aged 0-59 months.

"The achievement of this successful campaign brings hope to the humanitarian community," WHO Representative to South Sudan Dr Abdulmumini Usman said.

The four-day campaign from Nov. 15 to 18 was organized and led by the ministry of health with support from WHO and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund using both house to house and facility-based services to reach all eligible children no matter where they live.

The UN health agency said the campaign continues beyond the planned four days, due to challenges in assessing children in conflict-affected states.

"The commitment of health teams to reach as many children as possible in difficult circumstances is really to be commended," Usman said.

According to WHO, delivering polio vaccines in South Sudan has never been harder, however insecurity, ongoing clashes and displacement made the logistical arrangement overwhelming.

"Vaccinators struggled with impossible burdens to find every child of the displaced families scattered in hard-to-reach areas, including besieged locations," it said.

WHO said that although insecurity and displacement prevents access to families and children, as of Nov.18, vaccinators made special efforts to be able to reach approximately 300,000 children; including 40,000 internally displaced children with vaccines against polio as well as provide them with vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets.

WHO, together with the ministry of health and health partners, has scaled-up its support to immunization programs by providing financial and logistical support.

Besides, independent supervisors from different units of WHO have also been deployed in all the states to monitor the campaign and to ensure all areas are covered. Endit