World Health Organization
منظمة الصحة العالمية
Organisation mondiale de la Santé

Donors prompt response curbs spread of outbreak

Print

Together Sudan's Health Minister, representatives from ECHO, USAID and DFID received yellow fever vaccine at Khartoum International Airport on 15 January 2012.Sudan’s Health Minister Bahr Idriss Abu-Garda with representatives of DFID, ECHO, and USAID received additional yellow fever vaccine at Khartoum International Airport.23 January 2013 - More than three million people were vaccinated against yellow fever in Darfur during the first and second phases of the vaccination campaign conducted between the last week of November 2012 and first week of January 2013. With the arrival of additional vaccine in Khartoum required for the third phase of the campaign, around two million more will be vaccinated during the third phase scheduled to start on 26 January 2013.

The international community and donor countries responded favourably to the appeal for support launched by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2012 for the emergency vaccination campaigns.

The operational requirements as well as costs of vaccines for Phases I and 2 of the emergency vaccination campaign were supported by the European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and the Government of Sweden. The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are supporting phase 3 of the campaign.

National and international nongovernmental organizations also supported the campaign by providing operational support through financial and manpower resources.

Vaccination is the single most important measure for preventing spread of yellow fever. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever other than supportive care to treat dehydration and fever, and blood transfusion if and when needed.

To date, over 840 cases of yellow fever have been reported, including 171 deaths. The outbreak has affected more than 35 localities in Darfur.

In addition, the national yellow fever risk assessment is ongoing to further assess the risks in other areas of the country and the need for conducting additional vaccination campaigns.