Over 1.2 million children in Sudan miss routine vaccinations amid ongoing conflict

KATHMANDU: More than 1.2 million children in Sudan have been deprived of routine immunization services due to the country’s prolonged civil war, according to the latest data released by the Sudanese Ministry of Health.

Health authorities say years of ongoing conflict and instability have severely disrupted the country’s healthcare system, forcing repeated suspension of vaccination campaigns and leaving large numbers of children without access to basic immunization.

The collapse of health infrastructure in several regions, combined with security challenges, has been identified as the main driver behind the sharp decline in vaccination coverage, according to local health workers.

To address the crisis, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Save the Children, has launched targeted vaccination drives to reach children who have missed essential immunizations.

Sudan’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Babikir reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring full vaccination coverage, describing it as a national responsibility rather than a political agenda.

He said that despite major geographical and security constraints, around 450,000 children had been vaccinated by May under the special outreach programme. Health teams continue to operate in extremely dangerous conditions, including heavy rains, flooding, and ongoing gunfire in several areas.

Babikir also confirmed that medical teams have managed to deliver vaccines even in territories controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), highlighting the risks health workers are taking to maintain essential services.

Since mid-April 2023, intense fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions both internally and across borders, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and severely weakening the country’s healthcare system.