Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in South Sudan are conducting the first ever large-scale vaccination campaign in response to an outbreak of hepatitis E. Working with South Sudan's ministry of health, teams are vaccinating thousands of displaced people living in Bentiu camp. Hepatitis E is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis—which causes liver inflammation and damage—leading to approximately 20 million infections and 44,000 deaths worldwide per year. This new campaign in Bentiu is seen as a global milestone event that could change the way we tackle the disease in the future.

“Given the successful implementation and the community’s enthusiastic response . . . this innovative vaccination campaign can serve as an example and be replicated in similar settings managing hepatitis E outbreaks,” said Dr. John Rumunu, director general for preventive health services at South Sudan’s ministry of health. "I hope the vaccine will help reduce infections and deaths from hepatitis E in Bentiu and beyond." Read more.