Sudan rolls out malaria vaccines to bolster efforts to protect children

Sudan has began rolling out its first malaria vaccination programme amid the country's 18-month civil conflict.

Vaccines will be administered to around 148,000 children under the age of 12 months in 15 sites in the Gedaref and the Blue Nile states.

Sudan is among the first 16 African countries to introduce the malaria vaccine.

The campaign is being carried out by the Federal Ministry of Health, in partnership with the UN children's agency UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The launch follows the arrival of the first shipment of 186,000 doses of the malaria vaccines to Sudan in October.

The vaccine is set to be introduced in 129 sites across the country in 2025 and 2026.

Malaria kills nearly half a million children under the age of 5 each year in Africa according to UNICEF.

In 2023, more than 3.4 million malaria cases were estimated in Sudan, causing an estimated 7,900 deaths, although UNICEF warns that figures are likely to go underreported due to the ongoing conflict and communication breakdown in the country.

Recommended for children aged five to 12 months, the vaccine is expected to reduce child hospital admission and mortality from the disease.

The war in Sudan has displaced more than 14 million people, or about 30% of the population, since it broke out over a year ago, the UN says.

The war started in April 2023 when tensions between the Sudanese military and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces escalated to violence in the capital Khartoum and spread out across the country.