Declining Vaccination Rates Threaten Children’s Lives in Sudan

The ongoing war in Sudan has significantly worsened the health conditions of children. Millions of lives are now at risk due to the spread of disease, acute shortages of food and medicine, and a total lack of healthcare, particularly in areas of armed conflict.

The decline in vaccination rates poses a lethal threat to millions of Sudanese children. According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination levels have plummeted to their lowest in 40 years. Last year, 880,000 Sudanese children, representing more than half of the country’s infants, did not receive their first dose of the DTP vaccine (Diphtheria, Pertussis/Whooping Cough, and Tetanus).

The Vaccine Crisis

Howida Saad, who fled with her family from the Al-Dibaibat area in South Kordofan to the city of Kadugli, laments that her infant missed the routine six-month vaccination. Despite traveling between several hospitals and health centers, her journey was in vain as the necessary vaccines were unavailable.

Saad told Mashaweer that “dozens of mothers are struggling fruitlessly to obtain vaccination doses for their infants.” She noted that the Ministry of Health is unable to provide vaccines, citing road closures and escalating battles in the region, which leaves young children facing the risk of death.

The displaced Sudanese mother added that “the overcrowding of hundreds of children in shelters has led to many health problems, the outbreak of epidemics, and a lack of medicine.” She highlighted that a large percentage of children require regular medical check-ups and essential treatments.

Health Complications

Salma Jaafar, who resides in a camp in the Karnoi area of North Darfur, stated that “the failure of children to receive whooping cough and tetanus vaccines at the scheduled times has contributed to the emergence of health complications.”

Speaking to Mashaweer, she explained that “children are suffering from various health issues, notably rapid breathing, nausea, vomiting, severe fever, and diarrhea.” Health workers have confirmed that these symptoms are linked to the lack of vaccinations.

She also pointed out that the “absence of the polio vaccine has exacerbated the situation in shelters, causing widespread panic among families who fear their children will contract the virus and face paralysis, especially given the crowding in displacement camps.”

International Warnings

Amidst this crisis, UNICEF and the WHO warned in a joint statement that Sudanese children are at risk of deadly diseases. The statement clarified that at least 880,000 infants missed their scheduled DTP vaccinations last year.

The statement emphasized that Sudan now records the lowest coverage for the whooping cough vaccine in the world. Furthermore, coverage for the DTP3 vaccine dropped from 94% in 2022 to just 48% last year—the lowest level recorded in Sudan since 1987. The organizations added that this decline has led to outbreaks of polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Measles Outbreak

In the Darfur region, where the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, measles cases have risen to alarming levels among thousands of children due to the weakening of routine immunization campaigns.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called for urgent, comprehensive vaccination campaigns across Darfur, noting that delays in response could lead to more deaths and the spread of other infectious diseases. Cecilia Greco, the MSF Medical Coordinator in Central Darfur, stated that their teams have treated approximately 10,000 cases of measles, including 35 deaths.