« For weeks we didn’t know what to do », says Fatima, mother of three children. “ My youngest child was coughing and running a fever and other people in our village were getting sick. When we heard about the arrival of the vaccination team, we went there. »
In Rokero, Central Darfur, a measles outbreak affected the area between June and October 2024, infecting more than 1,000 people, mostly children under five years old. To control the epidemic and protect the population, MSF vaccinated 9,634 children, mainly children under 5 years old who are most at risk of serious complications from measles.
« We had to face many challenges to ensure the vaccination campaign, from difficult or blocked roads to the instability of vaccine stocks. “, explains Marwan Taher, MSF project coordinator in Rokero. MSF teams worked with community leaders to raise awareness of the vaccination campaign and reach the most vulnerable people.
It is also a challenge for families whose children are sick. Some had to walk for hours to reach vaccination points. Abdurrahman, father of five, explains: “ The road was difficult and it had rained the night before. But since many children get sick in our village, we had to make the trip. Now I’m relieved that my children are protected ».
This measles epidemic is contained today, thanks to collective efforts and community involvement, but access to essential care in this region remains extremely difficult.
During this vaccination campaign, the teams conducted a survey on malnutrition among vaccinated children. Serious cases were immediately treated. Nearly 300 children under 5 years old presented with severe acute malnutrition and 1,062 children aged 6 to 59 months suffered from moderate acute malnutrition.
« The malnutrition situation in Rokero is alarming “, explains Merce Rocaspana, MSF emergency medicine specialist. “ The war continues to cause a humanitarian catastrophe with serious health complications ».
Security constraints, people’s ability to reach facilities and the absence of local health authorities in Rokero exacerbate this crisis, delaying access to care. Routine vaccination programs, nutritional support and investments in health infrastructure are essential to prevent future outbreaks. MSF teams continue to provide vital aid to the population of the Rokero region.
