Implementation of  polio outbreak response vaccination campaign Sudan used to be free of poliomyelitis since March 2009 - in spite of being in an affected area (Horn of Africa) – and in 2015 the country was officially announced as polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) was introduced into the routine vaccination programme in July 2015. This was to ensure that the population is still protected from wild polio virus type two, however, and due to a global supply shortage, a stock-out of the vaccine occurred all over the country during the period June 2016 to December 2018. As a result of a global polio-vaccine stock-out period, the cohort of children eligible for the IPV vaccination (2,253,531 children, now in the age of two to four-and-a-half years of age), did not receive their doses, and hence were not protected against type two of wild polio virus. In addition, the economic crisis, socio-political instability, and the COVID-19 pandemic affected the performance of immunisation services. These factors put the country at risk of a polio outbreak.

On 9 August 2020, the Federal Minister of Health declared an outbreak of vaccine-derived polio in Sudan. An outbreak response National Task Force and Technical Committee, as well as an Outbreak Emergency Room were established. Affected State Governments were notified, and response activities started:
- Detailed investigation of cases.
- Enhanced AFP surveillance.
- Development of the response plan of action.
- Proposal for two National Immunisation Day (NID) campaigns (4 October and 1 November 2020).
- Cross border coordination with Chad.

The overall objective of the outbreak response is to control the ongoing vaccine-derived polio outbreak, prevent further circulation of the virus, prevent polio virus Type Two seeding and build the herd immunity against polio virus type two. Specific objectives:
- To boost children’s immunity against polio virus (type 2).
- To enhance the AFP surveillance system.
- To strengthen routine immunisation activities through acceleration campaign for low coverage districts/states. 
- To strengthen coordination, communication and monitoring for outbreak response activities at all levels.
- To inform the community about the importance of polio supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs) and vaccine preventable diseases.  
- Engage community leaders and young people to create demand, mobilise communities, and reduce the refusal rate. 

Major activities planned for 2020/2021:
- To conduct two quality NIDs campaigns for vaccine-derived polio (type 2) outbreak response with 95 per cent coverage at locality level (8,610,936 children targeted in each round).
- To implement a nationwide IPV catch-up vaccination campaign for children missed their routine IPV vaccination during the global IPV stock-out period.
- Conduct four rounds of accelerated routine campaign to raise routine vaccination coverage in low performing localities - first round started in August in 52 localities.
- Implementation of communication and social mobilisation activities to engage community members in achieving the Polio Eradication Plan. 

Activity timeline:
- IPV immunisation: first phase already implemented in September 2020 in four states (Khartoum, Northern State, River Nile, White Nile). Immunisation in the remaining fourteen states is planned for November 2020.
- Accelerated catch-up campaign in low performing localities: A first round was implemented in the last week of August three more rounds are planned during the last week of September, October and November.
- Polio nationwide campaigns: two rounds (first round in October 2020, and second round in November 2020).

SHF funding will contribute to bridging the funding gap and hence implementation of the national vaccination campaign through support to vaccine management and social mobilisation activities in 16 localities in three states (South Darfur, West Darfur and White Nile).