Five medical teams dispatched to combat coronavirus in Sudan

Five medical Rapid Response Teams have been dispatched in Sudan to help combat the spread of infectious diseases. There are over 13.000 registered coronavirus cases in Sudan now.

The federal Ministry of Health organised workshops for Rapid Response Teams in mid-August, “to raise the capabilities of cadres in epidemiological monitoring and infection control”.

The teams have been sent to various parts in the country for a period of three months to support medical staff combating the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases. They must also strengthen the coordination between Khartoum and the states.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in its Situation Report last week that the spread of COVID-19 is affecting Sudan’s already very poor health care system.

El Tayeb El Sheikh, head of the Joint Central Chamber for Coronavirus Emergencies, told reporters in Khartoum, that 60 per cent of last week’s tests proved positive. The majority of the Sudanese population is young, and they do not show clear symptoms, he said. Until a vaccine has been found and distributed, the people should adhere to the coronavirus precautions, foremost wearing face masks in public institutions, public transport, hospitals and pharmacies, he added.

El Sheikh further called for more testing, in particular of travellers. He also wants more media coverage about the seriousness of the disease.

New cases

According to the Sudanese Ministry of Health, 107 new COVID-19 patients were recorded in Sudan on Wednesday, bringing the total of registered coronavirus cases in the country since the start of the pandemic to 13,189. Of the 107 new cases reported, 106 were recorded in Khartoum, and one in El Gedaref.

As of August 27, at least 9,450 cases have been reported in Khartoum, and 1,120 in bordering El Gezira. The number of coronavirus patients in the other 16 states varies between 432 (River Nile state) and six (Central Darfur).

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