Ethiopia has launched a large-scale cholera vaccination drive in the Gambella Region, aiming to immunize one million people as the country battles a rapidly spreading outbreak.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health announced the initiative on Sunday, stating that vaccinations will be administered across all zones in Gambella and refugee camps over the coming week. The campaign comes amid urgent warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and humanitarian agencies about the worsening cholera crisis along Ethiopia’s border with South Sudan.
At the campaign’s launch event, Ethiopian Minister of Health Mekdes Daba emphasized that, alongside vaccination efforts, maintaining hygiene and improving sanitation are crucial in preventing further outbreaks.
Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Gambella
International medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised concerns over a deepening humanitarian emergency, describing the situation as a “rapidly unfolding crisis” on both sides of the Ethiopia-South Sudan border. The MSF highlighted escalating violence, mass displacement, and deteriorating health conditions as factors worsening the outbreak.
Cholera has been spreading across South Sudan since last year, with the latest surge originating in Upper Nile State before crossing into Ethiopia’s Gambella Region. The WHO has warned that the disease, initially detected in Gambella’s Akobo District last month, has now spread to eight districts and four refugee camps.
Urgent Calls for Humanitarian Support
Aid organizations have called for immediate action to support health facilities, provide clean water, and improve sanitation, as poor hygiene conditions and unsafe drinking water continue to fuel the spread of the disease.
Adding to the crisis, ongoing conflict between government forces and armed groups in South Sudan has triggered mass displacement, forcing refugees and injured civilians to seek shelter in Ethiopia. The influx of people has placed additional strain on health resources, further complicating efforts to contain the outbreak.
With the cholera crisis escalating, Ethiopian authorities and international partners are racing to curb the spread and protect vulnerable communities in the affected regions.