COVID-19 ‘dangerous’ spread continues in Sudan

12/01/2021 14:16 KHARTOUM

The Ministries of Health in Khartoum State, El Gezira, and River Nile State have published their reports on the rise of COVID-19 infections in their respective states.

Minister of Health in Khartoum State, Dr Mahjoub Menoufeli, presents the periodic report at the Corona Emergency Centre in Khartoum on January 10, 2021 (Social Media)

The Ministries of Health in Khartoum State, El Gezira, and River Nile State have published their reports on the rise of COVID-19 infections in their respective states.

The Khartoum State Ministry of Health has recorded 110 new cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths on Friday and Saturday. This brings the state’s cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths to 778 and the number of confirmed cases to 18,585.

The director of the ministry, Mahjoub Menoufeli, presented the periodic report at the Corona Emergency Centre on Sunday. He indicated that the prevalence rate is now 20.9 per 10,000 residents.

When the COVID-19 prevalence rate in Khartoum reached 20.1 per 10,000 residents earlier this month, Menoufeli called this “a dangerous indicator”.

He also announced that 350 coronavirus patients recovered over the weekend. In total, 8,800 people have recovered from the disease in Khartoum state.

Menoufeli confirmed that Khartoum locality continues to record the highest infection rates, compared with the other six localities in the state. The locality recorded 5,926 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in Sudan in March last year.

Last week, the minister warned school administrations and families against breaching or not adhering to health directives. The ministry would be forced to recommend closing schools again if health directives are breached, said Menoufeli.

The Ministry of Health of El Gezira, neighbouring Khartoum state, reported six new positive cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. They also recorded 12 recoveries and four deaths. 

In River Nile state, the local Ministry of Health announced 17 newly recorded cases, four deaths, and 18 recoveries in four days.

In its epidemiological report on Sunday, the ministry stated that the infections were recorded in six out of the seven localities and that the cumulative number of confirmed cases increased to 270, 36 deaths, and 131 recoveries.

Concerns about undetected cases

It is important to note that these numbers reflect the number of confirmed cases; those who tested positive for COVID-19. There are growing concerns about the number of unrecorded and undetected cases in the country.

Since January 1, the Sudanese Ministry of Health has not published any country-wide reports about the number of cases of COVID-19. Cases and death reports are being published by individual states regularly.

In December, a report from the Imperial College London (ICL) COVID-19 Response Team warned that an estimated 16,090 deaths may have been missed as of November 20. This means that only 2 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in Khartoum have been registered as such.

In November, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) called COVID-19 a national security threat and warned that “the new cases announced by the ministry in its regular reports do not reflect the real epidemiological situation”. The organization said that “the cases registered in private laboratories are not included in the official figures, while the government has no plans to correct this”.

Radio Dabanga’s editorial independence means that we can continue to provide factual updates about political developments to Sudanese and international actors, educate people about how to avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases, and provide a window to the world for those in all corners of Sudan. Support Radio Dabanga for as little as €2.50, the equivalent of a cup of coffee.

Related News

Sudanese on Tuti Island: ‘If you don’t help us, we will all be dead within days’

13/10/2024 13:09 TUTI ISLAND, KHARTOUM

Call to tackle Sudan’s war trauma on World Mental Health Day 2024

10/10/2024 16:51
On 5 October 2024 in Port Sudan, Sudan, UNICEF Health Officer Khattab Obaid inspects a shipment of cholera vaccines in the back of a refrigerated truck before they are transported to Kassala, Gedaref and River Nile states. A UNICEF-chartered plane carrying 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccines arrived in Port Sudan, Sudan, early this morning, to bolster efforts to protect children from the ongoing cholera outbreak affecting the country. Since the current outbreak began in July 2024, over 18,000 cases of cholera and approximately 550 deaths have been reported in 10 states across the country. The new batch of vaccines adds to the 404,000 doses UNICEF delivered to Sudan last month and will be used in the ongoing immunization campaigns. The campaigns aim to vaccinate 1.81 million people against cholera in the hardest-hit states: Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile. Besides cholera, concurrent outbreaks of other diseases – such as dengue, malaria and measles – are taking hold in at least 12 of Sudan’s 18 states. Earlier this week, UNICEF delivered nearly 190,000 doses of malaria vaccines to the country to help protect children from malaria. “Coming on the heels of war, displacement and famine, the impact of these epidemics could be catastrophic for children,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan. “Delivery of the vaccines to health authorities in Sudan and into the arms of communities most at risk is essential for stopping the spread of these deadly diseases.” Ongoing disease outbreaks are pushing Sudan’s already fragile healthcare system to a breaking point and exacerbating weaknesses in the sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation, especially in overcrowded displacement sites and camps increases the risk of transmission. Children who have never been vaccinated and those suffering from malnutrition are particularly at risk. “We need all hands on deck now to scale up our response,

1.4 million cholera vaccines land in Port Sudan

07/10/2024 10:14

Welcome

Install
×
Share
Copy Link
×