Yellow fever vaccination campaign launched in Umm Dukhum

The vaccination campaign against yellow fever was launched in Umm Dukhum locality, Central Darfur, on Tuesday, 1 January, the state’s health minister told Radio Dabanga. Issa Mohamed Moussa Yousef said the operation will be completed on 12 January and that 130.000 people would be targeted. He also said the ministry allocated three medical teams to cover the locality and to temporarily cover the state’s borders and public roads. In addition, he continued, mobile teams will be responsible for nomads and other teams will be operating in health centers and hospitals of the locality. Yousef said his ministry took certain precautions, in coordination with the World Health Organisation, concerning the status of Umm Dukhum. The locality lies in the border area between Chad, Central African Republic and Sudan. The minister appealed to all citizens of Umm Dukhum, especially to native administrators, to immediately notify authorities if new cases of yellow fever emerge. He also asked that citizens inform authorities if certain areas of Umm Dukhum are not covered by the vaccination campaign.Photo: WHO/C. BanlutaSee also: C. Darfur minister: 7 daily malaria cases (1 January 2013)