The Western Bahr el Ghazal State Ministry of Health received nearly 9,000 doses of malaria vaccine from the national Ministry of Health in Juba on Wednesday. This marks the first consignment of essential drugs for 2024, addressing a significant shortage that has plagued the state-run Wau Teaching Hospital for the past two years.
State Minister of Health Dr. Francis Michael Hassan explained that despite previous distributions intended to be equal across all states and administrative areas, Western Bahr el Ghazal State last received a consignment of medicines in November 2022. Upon the vaccine’s arrival at Wau Airport, Dr. Francis confirmed the receipt of 8,600 doses, which will be distributed across Jur River, Raja, and Wau counties.
While briefing the press at Wau Airport upon the vaccine’s arrival on Wednesday, Dr. Francis confirmed that they have received 8,600 doses of malaria vaccine. These will be distributed across the three counties in the state, including Wau Town Municipality.
“Today at Wau airport, we received malaria doses, and we thank the national Ministry of Health and our health partners, UNICEF and the World Health Organization,” said Dr. Francis Michael Hassan, the State Minister of Health.
“Our three counties in the state will receive the vaccine. Jur River will receive 1,400 doses, Raja will receive 3,300 doses, and Wau County will receive 3,900 doses, totalling 8,600 doses,” he said. He further stated that the vaccine would be administered to children aged five to eighteen months.
The minister assured the public of the vaccine’s safety. “I would like to assure the citizens that the malaria vaccine is safe for our health,” he added.
“Our focus is to administer the malaria vaccine to infants aged 5, 6, and 7 months as a priority group. Infants aged 18 months will be considered a long-term target group for our malaria prevention and eradication campaign,” Dr. Francis advised.
He cautioned parents of infants receiving the malaria vaccine against complacency, stating, “There is a need for continued efforts to fight and prevent the spread of malaria. The malaria vaccine, unfortunately, cannot provide one-hundred percent (100%) protection against the malaria parasite.”
He further reminded the people of Western Bahr el Ghazal and all citizens of South Sudan to keep their homesteads clean and clear bushes to prevent the breeding and spread of malaria.