“Get your children out for vaccination,” Lakes State authorities urge residents
By Makur Adut
Lakes State government in collaboration with partners have launched the Malaria and Measles 2nd dose vaccination across the State, with the region’s authorities urging public to join forces with them to ensure their children are vaccinated.
Speaking at the event, the State Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Stephen Mathiang Deng, said the national government and the partners want to ensure that the children are protected because immunization is more important than treatment.
He said in other countries, there is no free vaccine like this vaccine; you have to pay for it.
“When you go to Uganda, there is nowhere our people walk from village to village begging for children to be vaccinated. So, you must appreciate your government,” he said.
He said in the future, no one will be begging, but they will have to endure the long walks with their children to health facilities to access the services.
“You are privileged in your country. So, let your children be vaccinated”, he said. “Now, there is proof that those vaccines have good results, like the polio vaccine and measles,” Mathiang said.
However, he stated that the vaccine will not eliminate malaria completely, will reduce the disease and its associated mortality by 70%.
“When you take all these four doses, your body will be immune. It is our collective responsibility as the authorities to make sure all children under the age of 3-5 months are vaccinated,” he said
On his side, Dr. Ezekiel Mourwel Maker, representative of the Ministry of Health in Lakes State, said they have made various interventions by distributing treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria infection, and creating awareness on how malaria can be prevented.
However, he said, despite the numerous interventions, the rate of malaria remains very high.
“We need to protect children from malaria by giving a vaccine. Let us all support this program like other activities that have been initiated by the Ministry of Health and health partners because our focus is to reduce malaria among the children,” he said.
Juma Santino Deng, EPI Manager in Lakes State, said that with the malaria vaccine, they are all aware that at different capacities, it has been a struggle for all the scientists, the doctors and researchers.
He said about 4 years ago, researchers and scientists managed to produce the vaccine, and the vaccine was introduced in South Sudan last year.
“About 40% of malaria will be prevented among the children, and it will also reduce complications of malaria by up to 30%. It will also reduce the death rate in our State and the country by up to 13%,” Santino said.
According to him, since January 2025, at least 64,374 malaria cases were reported across the State and 61 deaths
“The vaccine we are launching today in our facility and to our community, by next year, we believe the 64,000 will reduce up to 1,000 cases in 2026, and this is what I believe.”
