Article
On the frontlines of health: A day with a UNICEF Health Officer in Sudan
The ongoing war in Sudan has severely disrupted routine immunizations and vaccination campaigns, especially in conflict hotspots. This has created ripe conditions for disease outbreaks- including polio. When a polio outbreak was confirmed in early 2024 through environmental surveillance, every child- especially th...
Article
Ezzeldin the vaccinator: Defending childhood in the heart of conflict
By 7 a.m., on a bright sunny morning, mothers sit on benches and mats under a shade in Al-Hamidiyah health facility, located in a displacement camp in Zalingi, Central Darfur. Every Monday and Thursday, the shade becomes the immunization clinic. Some 30 mothers have arrived with their babies tucked under little w...
Article
Empowering Sudanese women to protect children against all odds
The women of Sudan are pioneers. They play a vital role in building trust, encouraging community participation in health programmes, and supporting their families. Despite working under challenging conditions, these women are essential to community health efforts and help protect future generations' well-being. Sa...
Press release
Gavi, Save the Children and UNICEF collaborate to strengthen immunization services in Sudan
Gavi will provide US$23.4 million to support immunization for children living across the country, which hosts one the largest displaced populations in the world. The funding, provided via grants to UNICEF and Save the Children, is aimed at maintaining routine immunization, including through collaboration with loca...
Article
Japan’s support strengthens Sudan’s cold chain system
The war in Sudan is threatening to undo gains made for children across various sectors. On the immunization front, the national vaccination coverage has sharply dropped from 85 per cent before the war to approximately 50 per cent. The rates are as critically low as 30 per cent in areas where the fighting continues...
Press release
Sudan kicks off polio campaign to protect over 648,000 children in hard-to-reach areas in White Nile State
13 November 2024, Port Sudan, Sudan, – The Federal Ministry of Health of Sudan, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), kicked off a four-day house-to-house polio vaccination campaign in White Nile State, Sudan, on 11 November 2024. The four-day campaign i...
Article
Building trust, saving lives
Immunisation remains one of the most effective interventions for protecting children from life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases and reducing child mortality. However, millions of children continue to miss out on the full benefits of vaccines due to barriers such as misinformation, disinformation, and lack ...
Article
Going the extra mile to stop poliovirus spread
It’s day one of the polio vaccination campaign in Sudan’s Red Sea State, where poliovirus was detected in sewage samples earlier in 2024. At the crack of dawn, vaccinators set off with their vaccine carriers filled with ice packs and vials of oral polio vaccine and vitamin A to reach children in their communities....
Article
Protecting children against diseases
When the community mobilizers arrived at Al Adad gathering point for displaced families in Kassala, Fatima, a mother of eight listened attentively. The mobilizers spoke about measles, a perilous disease that can be fatal for children if not protected through vaccinations. This visit was a crucial part of the pre-a...
Article
Preserving lifesaving vaccination services in Sudan
Despite the ongoing crisis, on 1 August, UNICEF and partners celebrated a glimmer of hope as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, formally inaugurated on the Gedaref cold chain building, generously funded by the Germa...
Article
A displaced mother’s pursuit to protect her children from diseases
Anfal Mohammed and her family were displaced by the horrors of conflict from Kh-Bahari in Khartoum. Today they find themselves in Madani city, where hope and opportunity beckons from every corner. Back home, Anfal and her husband, both hardworking individuals had secured employment and rented a humble abode for their family. Before the conflict,…
Photo essay
Vaccination hero on the frontline
Ibtisam Abdullah Altayeb, a vaccination specialist has championed child vaccinations for over eleven years in Sudan. While she believes her role is complex, Ibtisam has embraced it and not even the additional challenges posed by the recent influx of displaced children will stop her from reaching children with life...