WHO and Yemen aim to vaccinate 957,196 children against measles and rubella

Reaching Nine Hundred Thousand Children Across Southern Yemen in a New Measles and Rubella Drive

Nearly one million children across eleven southern governorates of Yemen are the focus of a coordinated immunization drive launched on November 8, 2026, in Aden. The Ministry of Public Health and Population, backed by the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, aims to reach exactly 957,196 children aged 6 to 59 months as preventable viral threats continue to exact a severe toll on the country’s youngest populations.

Measles and rubella remain persistent public health dangers in Yemen, driving high rates of preventable illness, disability, and death among children. The newly deployed campaign spans 100 distinct districts through a vast network of 2,291 vaccination teams. Among these, 643 fixed teams operate directly out of established health facilities, while 1,648 mobile teams travel across difficult terrain to reach families directly.

Logistics on the Ground and Reaching Displaced Communities

Executing a large-scale immunization effort across fractured infrastructure requires immense manpower. More than 5,221 health workers and 592 supervisors have been mobilized to handle vaccine delivery, monitoring, supervision, and field reporting. Special focus is directed toward internally displaced persons and vulnerable groups residing in temporary displacement sites and geographically isolated settlements.

وزير الصحة يدشن الحملة الوطنية الطارئة للتحصين ضد الحصبة والحصبة الألمانية في 11 محافظة

“Every child deserves protection from vaccine-preventable diseases, regardless of where they live or the challenges their families face in accessing health services. Through this campaign, WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population and partners to bring vaccination services closer to communities and protect children from measles and rubella,” said Dr. Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative in Yemen.

Dr. Qasim Buhaibeh, Minister of Public Health and Population, joined Dr. Hussain in Aden to officially inaugurate the effort. The operational framework relies heavily on comprehensive microplanning, rigorous cold-chain management, and daily field monitoring to spot bottlenecks and execute immediate corrections. Financial backing from Gavi ensures that vaccine supplies and operational logistics remain funded even in areas where routine health systems struggle to function.

Independent Surveys Evaluate Vaccination Penetration After Field Operations Wrap Up

Community engagement initiatives run parallel to the physical administration of the vaccines, utilizing public awareness campaigns at the national, governorate, and district levels to urge caregivers to bring their children forward. Once field operations wrap up, an independent post-campaign coverage survey will evaluate actual vaccination penetration, identify pockets of missed children, and draft recommendations for future immunization strategies.

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