Sudan’s Polio Campaign: A Success That Must Be Sustained

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Hafia Elyas

hafielyas@yahoo.com

At the 68th Media Enlightenment Forum, held at the Federal Ministry of Health to mark the conclusion of Sudan’s national polio response campaign, officials announced that more than six million children had been vaccinated across 12 states, achieving 100% coverage.
The announcement was more than a set of figures presented at a press conference. In a country exhausted by war, where health facilities have been damaged and essential services disrupted, it was a message of hope, reaffirming that protecting children remains a priority, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
Under the campaign slogan, “Through Vaccination, We Protect Them Before Polio Strikes,” 6,077,309 children received polio vaccines. Reaching such a large number of children under the exceptional circumstances facing Sudan is no small achievement. It required considerable efforts from health workers, coordination among government institutions and partner organisations, and the support of the media in delivering health messages to the public.
But beyond the numbers lies what this campaign means for the future of Sudan’s children.
Polio is not merely a passing illness. It is a viral disease that can cause permanent disability, and there is no cure for it. Vaccination remains the safest and most effective means of prevention.
The success of this campaign, therefore, should not be seen as the end of the mission, but rather as the beginning of a new phase that requires maintaining community immunity, strengthening routine immunisation and ensuring that vaccines reach every child, particularly in areas that are difficult to access.
Acting Federal Health Undersecretary Dr. Montaser Mohammed Osman stressed at the forum that the end of the campaign does not mean the end of the responsibility. He emphasised the importance of routine immunisation in protecting children and commended the efforts of field workers, partners, organisations and media professionals who contributed to the campaign’s success.
This message is particularly important in light of the statement by Acting Director-General of Basic Health Care Dr. Ismail Al-Adani that Sudan is free of wild poliovirus, while variant poliovirus has been detected in the country in connection with neighbouring countries.
The challenge today is not limited to conducting vaccination campaigns. It also involves strengthening disease surveillance, ensuring a continuous supply of vaccines, and raising awareness among families about the importance of completing their children’s vaccination schedules rather than relying solely on emergency campaigns.
According to the Ministry of Health, the campaign will continue in the states not covered during the current round, with implementation scheduled for the second week of November. This is an essential step towards ensuring that no child is left unprotected.
The media also has a pivotal role to play. Its responsibility should extend beyond reporting campaign activities and coverage figures to include raising awareness, correcting misconceptions and countering rumours that may discourage families from vaccinating their children.
The 68th Media Enlightenment Forum highlighted the importance of cooperation between health institutions and the media in protecting public health. This partnership must continue beyond the conclusion of the campaign, ensuring that health messages reach every family and that vaccination remains a priority.
Protecting children is a shared responsibility that begins with health institutions and extends to families, communities, the media and humanitarian organisations.
Perhaps the most important message to emerge from the campaign’s success is that children’s health cannot wait, and every child who receives a vaccine represents another step towards a healthier and safer future.
War may disrupt many services, but it must not deprive children of their right to health and life.
If reaching more than six million children is a national achievement worth celebrating, preserving that achievement requires continued efforts until vaccination reaches every child, in every state, village and city.
The fight against polio does not end with the announcement of a successful campaign. It ends only when every child in Sudan is protected from the disease.