More haemorrhagic fever cases in eastern Sudan

Medical sources report an increasing incidence of haemorrhagic fever in Kassala in eastern Sudan. Three deaths were reported at Kassala hospital in early November.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga a healthcare worker who asked not be named strongly criticised “the authorities’ neglect and lack of seriousness in dealing and coping with the disease.”

The doctor expressed surprise and dismay that the Ministry of Health has consistently denied an outbreak of the disease in Kassala.

He said that most patients must receive treatment at home after being seen by doctors in outpatient clinics because of lack of adequate health care in the hospital.

The doctors called on the government to provide prevention and safety measures for participants in the inter-school competitions that are now beginning.

They complain that spraying carried out by the Ministry of Health is insufficient.

Epidemic

Haemorrhagic fever appears in Sudan seasonally each year. In 2014, a political activist reported the “alarming spread” of the infectious disease in eastern Sudan’s Red Sea state, while “the state government and health authorities imposed a blackout on the disease”.

In 2015 and 2016, a few reports about haemorrhagic and Dengue fever cases in eastern Sudan reached this station, while the disease widely spread in Darfur. In April this year however, medical sources warned for a possible outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in Red Sea state’s Tokar locality.

Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the Ebola and Marburg, Lassa fever, and yellow fever viruses. VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, damage the blood vessels, and affect the body's ability to regulate itself.