Federal Minister of Health Meets Gavi’s Senior Country Program Delivery Officer

Geneva /
Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, Sudan’s Federal Minister of Health, held a meeting with Thabani Maphosa, Senior Country Programs Delivery Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in the presence of the accompanying Sudanese delegation and a number of officials responsible for the Sudan portfolio at the alliance.

During the meeting, the Minister provided a briefing on the health and humanitarian situation in Sudan, highlighting the noticeable improvement in the health sector despite the major challenges imposed by the war, particularly with regard to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), supply chains, and vaccine distribution, especially in Darfur and South Kordofan.

The Minister explained that prior to the outbreak of the war launched by the rebel militia, Sudan had been among the countries that achieved significant progress in expanding immunization coverage, reaching approximately 80 percent coverage. He stressed that preserving these gains requires continued support from partners, foremost among them Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The Minister expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Gavi for its continued support to Sudan, praising the alliance’s presence and backing of the health sector during the most difficult circumstances since the early days of the war. He also called for continued support to help Sudan restore and strengthen supply chains, rehabilitate operational and logistical capacities, provide transportation and outreach means necessary to reach affected communities, and support Sudan’s efforts regarding co-financing and engagement with donors.

For his part, Thabani Maphosa commended the efforts exerted by the Federal Ministry of Health under exceptionally complex conditions, affirming that Sudan has every right to take pride in what has been achieved despite the challenges, particularly in terms of institutional resilience, continuity of health services, and the introduction of new vaccines for the first time in Sudan. He also praised the success achieved in combating the cholera outbreak, leading to the declaration of Sudan as free from the epidemic.

Maphosa reaffirmed Gavi’s commitment to continue standing alongside Sudan during the recovery phase and to work with partners and donors to mobilize further support for the health sector and immunization programs in the country.