Health Minister acknowledges haemorrhagic fever in Darfur

Federal Minister of Health Bahar Idris Abu Garda has acknowledged the mortality cases owing to the spread of haemorrhagic fever in several states in Darfur. He told the press in Khartoum that his Ministry has deployed medical teams to intervene and investigate the deadly fever.

His teams will prepare “detailed reports” on how to take appropriate action against the fever. A medical team from the federal Ministry of Health already arrived in Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur, on Wednesday, transferring suspect cases among patients into quarantine.

“Declare a State of Health Emergency in Darfur”

Medical sources have confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the spread of the epidemic haemorrhagic fever has reached “critical stages”. They said that the health authorities in the states of Darfur lack medicines to combat the disease, pointing to the spread of the disease in Central and East Darfur.

The medical sources warned people of the swift transmission of infections throughout the region. They stressed the need to declare a 'State of Health Emergency' in Darfur in order to allow the intervention of international organisations that are able to rescue the infected people.

Earlier this week, the coordinator of the Central Darfur camps reported that 39 camp residents in Zalingei locality were afflicted by the viral fever. 16 of them had died.  

South Darfur denies haemorrhagic fever

In statements to Sudan Tribune on Thursday, South Darfur Health Minister Yagoub Ibrahim El Demoki stressed that the "state is free of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) diseases", adding they are "closely monitoring the situation".

He confirmed the arrival of a federal medical team to Nyala, on its way to East Darfur state to investigate reports about the outbreak there.

Also the director of the Epidemiology Department in East Darfur, Mohamed Joda, told Sudan Tribune that he ruled out the spread in the region.