Sudan Rolls Out First Malaria Vaccines

The Federal Ministry of Health, in partnership with UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi, rolled out malaria vaccines for the first time in Sudan on Monday, November 4, reliefweb reported yesterday.

This initiative aims to protect children from malaria, a disease that claims nearly half a million young lives annually in Africa.

The initial shipment included 186,000 doses, with vaccinations commencing in 15 localities in Gedaref and Blue Nile states, targeting over 148,000 children under 12 months. The vaccine will expand to 129 localities in 2025 and 2026.

Dr. Heitham Mohamed Ibrahim Awadallah, Sudan’s Federal Minister of Health, emphasized the significance of this milestone in combating malaria. Sudan has the highest malaria incidence in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, with an estimated 3.4 million cases and 7,900 deaths reported in 2023.