3rd phase of yellow fever vaccination campaign to begin in W. Darfur

The health minister of West Darfur announced that the third phase of the vaccination campaign against yellow fever that reportedly killed 171 people across Darfur would be launched next Tuesday in the state. Ishaq Ahmed Yaqoub said 200.000 people in three localities, namely Jebel Moon, Kulbus and Sirba, are to be vaccinated in this phase. He is urging the state’s population, especially those in the targeted three localities, to rush to medical centers as of Tuesday and get their shots. According to the minister, no cases of yellow fever have been reported in the state in the last two months.   Meanwhile, the federal health minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda announced that six million people across Darfur have been vaccinated against yellow fever since the campaign started last November.   Approximately 7.5 million people live in Darfur, according to the last census in 2010. He further announced the complete eradication of the disease in the region, adding no one has been diagnosed with it for the last 3 months. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that over 840 people were infected with yellow fever in Darfur and that the epidemic affected 35 out of 64 localities in the region since September last year. Official statistics suggest Central Darfur was the worst hit state with 51.5 percent of the registered cases of yellow fever. It was followed by North Darfur (21%), West Darfur (17.4%) and South Darfur (9.5%). East Darfur was the least affected province.Photo: At the Teaching Hospital in El Geneina, West Darfur, staff members receive vaccinations against Yellow Fever (Albert González Farran/ UNAMID) Related:Health ministry, WHO: yellow fever killed 171 in Darfur (10 January 2013)WHO: 3rd phase of yellow fever vaccination campaign to start in Darfur (23 January 2013)