GoSS Health Ministry, backed by UNICEF, World Health Organization and other partners started today a four-day campaign to vaccinate under-five children against polio.
This is the first round of the 2011 polio national immunization days in a bid to kick the virus out of the region.The exercise intends to reach at least 3.1 million children under the age of five.
SCR News spoke with Yasmin Haque, UNICEF country director in south Sudan. She said there was a polio reduction between 2005 and 2008 followed by a surge in polio cases in South Sudan.
She added that immunization rates in South Sudan have jumped from six percent to between 50 and 70 percent.
Ms. Yasmin said that cross-border movements of infected individuals are a major challenge towards the virus eradication in South Sudan.
She noted that continued funding for polio eradication is another challenge.
GoSS Health Minister Luka Monoja said on the phone that these campaigns will continue until Southern Sudan is declared polio-free and all children are safe from the crippling virus.
From today until Friday, thousands of vaccination teams will spread across South Sudan to administer two drops of the polio vaccine to all children less than five years of age, a little act that can save many lives from deformity and death.