African Vaccination Week 2025: Big Catch-Up and vaccine introduction to boostSouth Sudan’s health
From 24th to 30th April, South Sudan will celebrate African Vaccination Week (AVW) under the
theme “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible”. This year’s commemoration coincides
with the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which, over
the past five decades, has driven progress in combating vaccine-preventable diseases,
saving lives and promoting health.
In South Sudan, the country’s national immunization programme has progressively
introduced life-saving vaccines, expanding coverage with lifesaving vaccines. BCG
(tuberculosis vaccine), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis),
measles (first dose), and Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccines were first introduced in 1976. This
was followed by the introduction of the Pentavalent vaccine in 2015 and the Inactivated
Polio Vaccine (IPV) in 2016. Subsequently, the tetanus-diphtheria booster (Td) and second
dose of IPV were introduced in 2021. Most recently, the malaria vaccine was added to the
routine immunization schedule in 2024.
This year, with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the country is introducing
additional vaccines, including the Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV), the Rotavirus
vaccine, and the second dose of Measles-Containing Vaccine (MCV2) to its routine
immunization programme, keeping children safe from pneumonia, measles and diarrhoea.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Health highlighted the progress that has been driven by the
Expanded programme on Immunization and called on the people of South Sudan to take
an active role by getting vaccinated. “As we observe African Vaccination Week, we
celebrate progress while passing an important message to our communities that
individual health is a personal responsibility. It starts with you. While the
Government, through its health entities, is working to ensure protection from
vaccine-preventable diseases by introducing these new vaccines, the responsibility to
make use of them to protect yourself and your family is in your hand,” said Dr Anin
Ngot Mou, Under-Secretary of South Sudan’s Ministry of Health.
Data from the WHO Regional Office for Africa shows that since the celebration of the first
African Vaccination Week in 2011, countries in the region have used the occasion to conduct
a wide range of activities including advocacy, communications, vaccination campaigns, and
other high impact health interventions. As a result, over the past 14 years, more than 180
million individuals of all age groups were reached with different vaccines; an estimated 120
million were reached with Vitamin A supplementation and 100 million
children with deworming tablets.
The World Health Organization continues to advocate for immunization as a cornerstone of
global initiatives aiming to rid the world of vaccine preventable diseases and achieve global
health goals. “Vaccination is the most cost-effective tool to save lives and the first line
of defence for protection against disease. WHO commends the Government’s efforts
and support by partners to ensure the successful introduction of new vaccines into
South Sudan’s routine immunization programme. ‘Prioritizing pregnant women and
children will be key to building a safer and healthier population, helping us to save
lives and build a robust health system,” said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO
Representative for South Sudan.
Over the past five decades, immunization has saved more than 154 million lives—an
average of over 3 million lives each year. In Africa, immunization has saved over 50 million
lives and data modelling shows that in 2024, a child under age 10 in Africa had a 50 per cent
higher chance of surviving to their next birthday than they would have had in the absence
of vaccination programmes.
“The introduction of these new vaccines marks a major milestone in South Sudan’s
efforts to ensure no child dies or becomes sick because of a vaccine-preventable
disease. As we commemorate African Vaccination Week and 50 years of immunization
progress, we are reminded of the extraordinary power of vaccines to give every child
a fighting chance. UNICEF remains committed to working with the Government and
partners to ensure every child, no matter where he or she lives, is reached with life-
saving immunization services,” said Noala Skinner, UNICEF Representative in South
Sudan.
Despite ongoing routine vaccination efforts, the program has faced numerous challenges
during the reporting year, including outbreaks of measles, yellow fever, cholera, and
cVDPV2. Additionally, the influx of returnees and refugees fleeing the Sudan crisis, coupled
with severe flooding and consequent internal displacement, has strained health systems.
These challenges have, nevertheless, not halted the delivery of immunization services,
which continue, both within and outside health facilities, even in affected areas.
To address the significant immunization backlog accumulated between 2019 and 2022, as
well as to reach children who defaulted on routine vaccinations in 2023 and 2024, the
Government of South Sudan has also launched the ‘Big Catch-Up’ vaccination initiative. This
national effort is aimed at identifying and reaching all children under the age of five (0–59
months) who have either missed one or more antigens or have never received any routine
immunization doses. Through this initiative, South Sudan is intensifying efforts to close
immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, which remain a
persistent threat due to low routine coverage in many parts of the
country. As part of the campaign, the Ministry of Health—working in close coordination with
key partners such as UNICEF and WHO—is rolling out catch-up vaccination activities in 30
counties across the nation. These efforts specifically target 146,054 zero-dose children
those who have not received a single dose of any routine vaccine with the full schedule of
routine Expanded Programme on Immunization vaccines.
It is in this regards that this year the AVW celebrates and recognizes the collective efforts to
save and improve countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and underscores that
immunization for all is an achievable goal.
About the vaccines introduced
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV): Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is a
vaccine that protects against infections caused by the bacterium Streptococcus
pneumoniae (pneumococcus). PCV is recommended for infants, young children, to prevent
severe forms of pneumococcal disease like pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia (Link )
Rotavirus Vaccine (Rota): The rotavirus vaccine (Rota) is a live, oral vaccine used to protect
against rotavirus infections, the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young children. The
World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that it be included in national immunization
schedules, especially in countries with high rates of rotavirus gastroenteritis (link)
Measles Vaccine (MCV2): WHO recommends all countries to include a second routine dose
of measles containing vaccine (MCV2) in their national routine vaccination schedules
regardless of the level of coverage with the first routine dose of measles containing vaccine
(MCV1)
