EMPHNET’s work in Sudan has grown from early collaboration and technical support into a long-term partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and other national stakeholders. Since establishing collaborative ties in 2009, EMPHNET has supported Sudan in strengthening its public health workforce, immunization systems, surveillance, emergency preparedness and response, and community-based public health action.

Through its dedicated country office, EMPHNET continues to provide on-the-ground technical support while working closely with national, academic, professional, and international partners.

Our Work in Sudan

Strengthening the Public Health Workforce

Since the launch of the Sudan Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in 2017, EMPHNET has supported several training modalities to strengthen applied epidemiology, surveillance, outbreak investigation, and emergency response capacities. These include Advanced and Intermediate FETP cohorts and specialized Public Health Empowerment Programs (PHEP), such as PHEP–Surveillance for Polio Officers (PHEP-SPO/EPI), and PHEP-Nutrition.

More recently, EMPHNET supported the launch of the Basic Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) under the Sudan Health Emergency Infrastructure Project (SHEIP). Implemented in partnership with the FMoH, the African Development Bank, WHO, and EMPHNET, the program equips frontline health workers with practical epidemiology skills to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response.

Strengthening Immunization Systems

EMPHNET supports Sudan’s immunization program across the full continuum from policy and planning to service delivery, surveillance, and community engagement. This has included strengthening the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), supporting evidence-to-recommendation processes, improving routine immunization microplanning and data quality, and developing digital tools to support coordination, monitoring, and decision-making.

EMPHNET has also supported vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, adverse events following immunization monitoring, risk communication, and community-based efforts to reach zero-dose and under-immunized children.  This support has remained particularly important in the context of COVID-19 and the ongoing conflict, helping maintain essential functions, adapt approaches to changing needs, identify gaps in service delivery, and generate evidence to guide recovery and future planning. Across these areas, EMPHNET’s work has focused on strengthening national and subnational capacity and supporting Sudan’s immunization program toward more effective, equitable, and sustainable vaccination services.

Enhancing Emergency Preparedness and Response

EMPHNET supports Sudan in strengthening preparedness and response systems at national and subnational levels, including rapid response teams, event-based surveillance, emergency planning, and coordination mechanisms. This has included training rapid response teams to manage outbreaks and public health emergencies, supporting state-level emergency plans, and strengthening event-based surveillance through guidelines, standard operating procedures, monitoring tools, and training for frontline personnel.

These capacities have been applied during COVID-19 and outbreaks including cholera, malaria, dengue, measles, and other infectious diseases. During the conflict, FETP residents and graduates also supported outbreak investigations, surveillance, health cluster coordination, and response activities for internally displaced populations and hard-to-reach communities.

Empowering Communities

Community engagement is a core part of EMPHNET’s work in Sudan, particularly in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas. EMPHNET has supported community-based surveillance for polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases by training and engaging community informants to improve the detection and reporting of suspected cases and strengthen early warning at the local level.

EMPHNET has also supported a network of community health promoters and volunteers to identify zero-dose and under-immunized children, address vaccine hesitancy, and raise awareness on vaccination. In Kassala State, community-based vector control initiatives have engaged volunteers and households in reducing mosquito breeding sites and strengthening prevention of mosquito-borne diseases.

Advancing Disease Prevention

EMPHNET has supported Sudan in strengthening prevention efforts for vaccine-preventable and endemic diseases, including the introduction and scale-up of the malaria vaccine within the routine immunization program. In 2024, EMPHNET worked with the Federal Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi to support implementation planning, coordination, communication, and the use of digital tools for rollout.

Support also included training 1,025 health care workers in Blue Nile and Gedaref States, generating evidence on barriers to vaccine uptake, supporting risk communication and community engagement activities, and conducting a post-introduction evaluation to inform further scale-up. EMPHNET also contributed to the second phase of vaccine introduction in White Nile, Sennar, and the remaining governorates of Blue Nile State.

Check out EMPHNET’s Presence in Sudan.