Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting children under five across 12 states, as authorities intensify efforts to prevent the spread of the disease amid ongoing conflict and disruptions to healthcare services.
The campaign, running from October 26 to 29, 2026, involves health workers administering oral polio vaccines at kindergartens and conducting door-to-door visits to reach children in their homes.
Dr Jawahir Abdelrahman, Director of the General Directorate of Health Promotion at the Khartoum State Ministry of Health, said the initiative aims to protect children from birth to five years of age, urging families to cooperate with vaccination teams.
She explained that the vaccine is administered orally in two drops and encouraged parents and caregivers to ensure eligible children receive their doses.
Dr Fath Al-Rahman bin Auf of the World Health Organization (WHO) said the campaign targets a specific type of poliovirus and is separate from routine immunisation programmes.
He emphasised that children should receive the campaign vaccine even if they have previously been vaccinated, in line with the campaign’s public-health guidance.
The vaccination drive covers Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Sennar, White Nile, Blue Nile, North Kordofan, South Kordofan, Kassala, Gedaref, River Nile, Northern and Red Sea states.
The campaign comes as Sudan’s prolonged conflict continues to disrupt healthcare services, limiting access to routine immunisation and exposing children to preventable diseases.
In an April report, UNICEF warned that disruptions to routine vaccination services had left approximately 1.5 million children under five without adequate protection against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Health authorities and humanitarian partners are working to reach vulnerable communities and strengthen disease-prevention efforts despite the challenges facing the country’s health system.
The four-day campaign is part of broader efforts to protect children and prevent polio transmission, with health officials calling on parents and caregivers to welcome vaccination teams and ensure eligible children are reached.