Khartoum: Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that an emergency oral cholera vaccination campaign has been launched in Khartoum State, Sudan, aiming to protect more than 2.6 million additional people.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the 10-day campaign is being jointly supported by WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help contain the rapid spread of cholera in the region. The announcement was made on Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's X account on Thursday. WHO confirmed that the campaign began on June 10 and is being implemented in five of Khartoum State's worst affected localities: Jebel Awalia, Sharg Elneel, Omdurman, Karrari, and Umbada, using both mobile and fixed vaccination teams.
The campaign targets all residents aged one year and older, aiming to interrupt transmission and reduce the impact of an outbreak that has already resulted in 239 deaths and over 16,000 reported cases in seven localities of Khartoum State since May 2025. WHO figures indicate that Sudan has been facing a cholera outbreak since July 2024, which has now spread to 92 localities across 13 of the country's 18 states, infecting more than 74,000 people and causing 1,826 deaths.
WHO warned of the risk of cross-border spread due to population movement and displacement, underscoring the need for strengthened regional cooperation in response efforts. The organization highlighted that the ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023, has led to a collapse of health infrastructure, disrupted surveillance systems, and limited access to clean water and sanitation, factors that have significantly contributed to the outbreak's spread.
In addition to vaccination, WHO emphasized the importance of a comprehensive response, including case management, water and sanitation services, risk communication, and community engagement. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to staying and delivering life-saving assistance to Sudan's most vulnerable communities despite the challenges posed by the conflict.