Share & more
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched a meningitis vaccination campaign targeting 70,000 people at risk of contracting the life-threatening disease in the West Darfur region in Sudan.
"To date, there have been 33 reported cases of the disease and one death at Zallingi in West Darfur," the Federation said in a statement on Wednesday. "The Swedish Red Cross is making funds available to support the costs of mobilising the volunteers and transporting them to the sites where they will assist with the vaccinations."
The campaign in West Darfur targets people between the ages of two and 30, the population that is most vulnerable to the disease. Volunteers from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society will lead the campaign with support from the Federation.
There have been 526 cases of meningitis with 23 deaths in four other states of Sudan this year. The Sudanese Ministry of Health has undertaken a mass vaccination campaign in South Kordofan and Gedarif states, having completed one in Blue Nile and Kassala states.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
