Sudan to provide 8.4 million COVID-19 vaccines

The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced that 8.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to specified target groups. The distribution of the vaccine is planned to take place in the first quarter of 2021, depending on global production and waiting lists.

Dr Amal Abdallah, Director General of the Global Health Department at the Ministry of Health, said at a press conference yesterday that the distribution mechanism will depend on the registration of those who meet the required criteria.

She said that the vaccines will be given to the most vulnerable people who risk severe complications when they contract the virus: the elderly and people having chronic diseases. Front line medical and health care professionals workers will be vaccinated as well. Next in line are employees and workers in essential sectors, such as schools, banks, the civil service, transport and insurances. Finally high-risk groups, such as displaced people and asylum seekers, will be vaccinated. The vaccine will be voluntarily.

The distribution of the vaccine will also depend on the epidemiological situation of each state, Abdallah said.

New cases

The Directorate General of Emergency and Epidemic Control of the Sudanese Ministry of Health’s reported that 273 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered on Saturday and Sunday.  17 patients died and 215 recovered.

Most of the new cases come from Khartoum (235), followed by El Gedaref (13), Kassala (7), and El Gezira (4). The total number of recorded COVID-19 cases rose to 21,864. 1,372 people died and 12,667 have recovered.

A report published by the Imperial College London (ICL) COVID-19 Response Team two weeks ago showed that only an estimated two per cent of all COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Sudan. ICL estimates that around 16,090 deaths may have been missed as of November 20.

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