South Sudan launches vaccines to prevent pneumonia, diarrhea in children

28/5/2025 7:11

South Sudan, in partnership with United Nations agencies, on Tuesday launched two vaccines to prevent pneumonia and severe diarrhea in children under five.

Anin Ngot Ngot Mou, undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, described the rollout as a game changer in the fight against two of the country's leading causes of child mortality.



"Today, we are taking a bold step forward in protecting the health and future of our children in South Sudan. Pneumococcal disease is the leading cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, especially among children under five years old," Ngot said during the launch in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.



The new vaccines -- pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and rotavirus vaccine -- will be integrated into the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974. Health workers are being trained, and public awareness campaigns are underway to promote community acceptance and ensure wide coverage, Ngot added.