Khartoum: The Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with its partners, has concluded the comprehensive review of Sudan’s vaccine-preventable disease surveillance system, conducted through September 29 to October 12, 2025.
According to Sudan News Agency, the review aimed to assess the efficiency and sensitivity of the surveillance system at all levels, identify strengths, opportunities, and challenges, and evaluate the impact of the ongoing war on the health system.
The closing ceremony, held on Monday at Al-Rayah Al-Turifi Hall in Kassala, marked the presentation of findings from the supervisory and evaluation visits of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) covering 18 states.
Federal Minister of Health Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim described the external evaluation of the integrated surveillance system as an important step that adds to the distinguished record of the EPI, which continues to serve mothers and children across all states with swift responses that prevent disease and death. He praised the vital support of international partners, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
EPI Director Ismail Al-Adani highlighted key achievements, including the introduction of new vaccines, such as the malaria vaccine, in collaboration with the National Malaria Control and Health Promotion Programme, ensuring the availability of vaccines for children under five. He confirmed that the results demonstrated the sensitivity and effectiveness of the surveillance system in detecting cases, while emphasizing the need to develop a comprehensive plan to address existing gaps at short-, medium-, and long-term levels.
Dr. Al-Tayib Ahmed Al-Sayid, head of the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean delegation, presented the evaluation report in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim (virtually). The report confirmed that the surveillance system remains sensitive across all states, though the war has affected the health system, including immunization services, underscoring the need for a phased improvement plan.
The review covered all 18 Sudanese states, with participation from external reviewers representing WHO offices in Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, and the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, along with internal reviewers from UNICEF, Save the Children, UNDP, Alight, EMPHENT, IMC, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations. Field teams in Darfur and Kordofan took part online in preparatory workshops and training sessions before beginning their field visits.
A three-day workshop was held to adapt the review tools to the Sudanese context, followed by online training for reviewers from Darfur and Kordofan.
The methodology involved the random selection of surveillance sites and health facilities in each state, as well as the assessment of surveillance laboratories.
The review found that the surveillance system for vaccine-preventable diseases in Sudan is performing efficiently and remains sensitive, with some areas requiring improvement.
The preliminary recommendations called for the development of a comprehensive improvement plan for the system, supported financially and technically by partners, to sustain progress toward national, regional, and global immunization goals.
In conclusion, the partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of the improvement plan in both the short and long term and to strengthening Sudan’s health system to better meet current and future challenges.