Preparations for the Introduction of Malaria Vaccine in Three States
Kassala /The Citizen
The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has revealed its readiness to introduce the malaria vaccine in the states of White Nile, Sennar, and the rest of the governorates of the Blue Nile region on December 10, provided that the next stages will include the rest of the states. The Department of Health Promotion presented, through a workshop, the results of a study to assess community perceptions about malaria risks and the need for vaccination before it is introduced in the targeted mandates.
The Director of Health Promotion, Dr. Naha Salheen, said that malaria is still the number one health problem in the country and a great burden, despite interventions at all levels, emphasizing that the introduction of the vaccine enhances prevention and thus reduces infections and deaths, pointing out that an evaluation of the introduction has been carried out in several stages.
The Director of the National Program for Maternal and Child Health, Dr. Ismahan Al-Khair, described the introduction of the malaria vaccine as a strategic step, noting the need for more community awareness and interaction.
The representative of the Middle East Network for Community Health, Dr. Nada Jaafar, confirmed that Sudan is the first country to introduce the malaria vaccine in the Middle East region, considering this a great success. She stated that this experience will have significant value and will contribute to the introduction of the vaccine in countries suffering from similar health issues related to malaria, pointing out the importance of conducting research and studies.
Jaafar praised the high level of coordination between immunization, health promotion, and malaria control, which leads to the success of the interventions, noting the specificity of the malaria vaccine, represented by the fact that it is new in terms of the number of doses and the age group.
The head of the routine department, Nader Hammad, a representative of the Expanded Immunization Program, revealed the readiness to introduce the malaria vaccine in the White Nile states and Sennar, in addition to localities in the Blue Nile region. He added that there will be 4 doses of the vaccine.
The representative of the National Malaria Control Program, Dr. Salma Ali, stressed the importance of interventions following the implementation of studies and research.