After the successful introduction of rotavirus vaccine in July 2011, Sudan will introduce three more vaccines.Sudan has witnessed a remarkable improvement in routine vaccination coverage during the last few years. The coverage rate of pentavalent vaccine third dose reached 93% and measles coverage rate was 87%. This was a result of the stable implementation of routine immunization for the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.
In 2011, rotavirus vaccine was introduced in Sudan, the first country in Africa to introduce rotavirus vaccine with support from the GAVI Alliance. Rotavirus vaccine addresses severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children caused by rotavirus. Rotavirus gastroenteritis surveillance was established to measure the impact of rotavirus vaccine among children under one year of age.
For monitoring the incidence of intussusceptions, case series study was established in July 2011 with support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta and WHO.
The country faced some measles outbreaks with cases reported from the states of Darfur, Abyei, Blue Nile, Kassala and Red Sea. Measles vaccine follow-up campaigns were implemented in 2011, vaccinating more than two million people. Campaigns covered adolescents and adults, as well as children.
The routine immunization programme in Sudan has good political support, which has been translated into modest financial support. Hence, the establishment of post-marketing surveillance of intussusceptions and Government co-sharing of the cost of new vaccines.
