By Baraka John
Preparations are in top gear in Western Equatoria State (WES) ahead of the nationwide Polio vaccination campaign scheduled to take place from November 4th to 7th, 2025, under the coordination of South Sudan’s Ministry of Health.
Over the weekend, the Acting Governor of Western Equatoria State, H.E. Justin Marona, met with officials from the State Ministry of Health to discuss final preparations for the campaign. Speaking during the meeting, Acting Governor Marona reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to the successful implementation of the exercise, emphasizing the importance of the Polio vaccine for the well-being of young children.
“The Polio vaccine is vital for the lives of the upcoming generation of Western Equatoria State,” said Governor Marona. “We appreciate our development partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, for their unwavering support to our health sector. Without their partnership, the implementation of this campaign would not be possible.”
The Acting Governor also urged families across the targeted counties to cooperate fully with health workers during the campaign.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health in Western Equatoria State, Hon. Abdallah, reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the State. He appealed to both the State Government and the public to support the Ministry’s efforts and continue advocating for stronger partnerships with health organizations.
“Our goal is to ensure quality health services for the people of Western Equatoria State,” Hon. Abdallah stated. “We also remain vigilant, especially since some neighboring areas, such as Western Bahr el Ghazal, have reported high numbers of Polio cases.”
According to the Director General of the State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Rose Obede, the campaign in Western Equatoria will officially kick off on November 5th, 2025, to allow adequate time for final preparations and logistics. The vaccination exercise will be conducted in Yambio, Ezo, and Tombura Counties.
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, and other health partners, is mobilizing vaccinators and community volunteers to ensure that every eligible child in the targeted counties receives the oral polio vaccine.
The Polio campaign is part of South Sudan’s continued effort to eradicate the disease and safeguard children from preventable illnesses, in line with the national and global health objectives.
There is no report of a polio outbreak in Western Equatoria state, but South Sudan has reported cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in 2025, and the country is currently responding to an outbreak that was declared a public health emergency in December 2023.