Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
Department of Health Administrations and Behavioral Sciences, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021 Nov 10;106(1):17-20. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0782.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected the ability of health systems to provide essential services globally. The Darfur region, located in the western part of Sudan, has been largely devastated by the war that began in 2003 and has been drawing considerable attention from the international community. The war, which erupted as a result of environmental, political, and economic factors, has led to tragic outcomes. Collapsing health-care infrastructures, health workforce shortages, lack of storage facilities for medicines and medical products, and inadequate access to health services are some of the effects of the war. After Sudan received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access facility, significant challenges have been implicated in the delivery, storage, and use of the vaccine in the Darfur region. Lack of vaccine storage and transportation facilities, vaccination hesitancy, inequity in the distribution to health facilities, and shortage of health-care professionals resulting from insecurity and instability have added an extra layer of burden on local authorities and their ability to manage COVID-19 vaccinations in the region adequately. Addressing the impact of COVID-19 requires an effectively managed vaccination program. In the face of current challenges in Darfur, ensuring a fully vaccinated population might remain far-fetched and improbable if meaningful efforts are not put in place by all stakeholders and actors to address some of the challenges identified.
当前的 COVID-19 大流行已经影响到了全球卫生系统提供基本服务的能力。位于苏丹西部的达尔富尔地区自 2003 年开始的战争而遭到严重破坏，引起了国际社会的广泛关注。这场战争是由环境、政治和经济等多种因素引发的，造成了悲惨的后果。医疗保健基础设施崩溃、医疗人员短缺、药品和医疗产品储存设施缺乏以及获取卫生服务的机会不足等，都是战争的影响之一。苏丹通过 COVID-19 疫苗全球获取机制收到阿斯利康 COVID-19 疫苗后，在达尔富尔地区，疫苗的交付、储存和使用都面临着重大挑战。由于缺乏疫苗储存和运输设施、疫苗接种犹豫、向卫生机构分配不均以及不安全和不稳定导致的医疗保健专业人员短缺，给地方当局及其在该地区管理 COVID-19 疫苗接种的能力增加了额外的负担。应对 COVID-19 的影响需要一个管理有效的疫苗接种计划。在达尔富尔地区目前面临的挑战面前，如果所有利益攸关方和行为体不共同努力，解决所确定的一些挑战，那么确保完全接种疫苗的人口可能仍然遥不可及。
