The Minister of Health of West Darfur announced the launch of the vaccination campaign against yellow fever in the locality of Foro Baranga, on Sunday 9 December.<\/p>\n
Ishaq Ahmed Yaqoub told Radio Dabanga that the start of the campaign encountered some difficulties, as a number of vehicles carrying the drugs were delayed.<\/p>\n
He explained that by Monday, or the campaign\u2019s second day, 11 percent of the targeted patients had been vaccinated, adding that vaccines have arrived to the area. The operation will last until 21 December, according to the minister.<\/p>\n
Yaqoub declared that a total of 51 people died and 233 were infected with yellow in Central Darfur so far. He revealed that most of the new cases come from the gold mining area of Jebel \u2018Amer, North Darfur.<\/p>\n
\u2018Surplus\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The minister told Radio Dabanga he expects to have a surplus in vaccines after concluding the campaign in Foro Baranga and added that the northern localities in the state are ‘free from the epidemic’.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, he pledged to provide support for campaigns carried out in the north if required. These localities could include: as Sirba, Jebel Moun and Kulbus, he suggested. <\/p>\n At the same time, an activist from Sirba locality announced that a yellow fever patient died in the area of Bir Kilab. He also suspects that three new cases have emerged in the area, two of them being in Sawanee, near Sirba. On their turn, residents from Sirba locality have complained that the health authorities have ignored them.<\/p>\n The activist told Radio Dabanga that Sirba’s residents are living in fear due to the spread of the yellow fever epidemic in nearby villages. Besides, he continued, the locality is densely populated and includes eight displaced persons camps.<\/p>\n Lastly, residents from Sirba locality called on health authorities and organizations to speed up the delivery of the vaccines to the area before the disease continues to spread.<\/p>\n Photo: Staff members of the Teaching Hospital in El Geneina, West Darfur, receive the first vaccination treatment on Yellow Fever – Albert Gonz\u00e1lez Farran- UNAMID<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n