COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Sudan, flights from India suspended

27/04/2021 13:33 KHARTOUM

The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced the death of 40 people within four days due to COVID-19. All passenger flights between Sudan and India have been suspended for one month.

COVID-19 invading Sudan - Cartoon by Omar Dafallah 2020 (RD)

The Federal Ministry of Health announced the death of 40 people within four days due to COVID-19. The Civil Aviation Authority suspended all passenger flights between Sudan and India for a month, due to the high rates of infections and the emergence of new strains of COVID-19 in India.

In its epidemiological report for the period from Thursday to Sunday, the Ministry said that there 218 cases of COVID-19 and 260 recoveries were reported within Khartoum, El Gezira, White Nile state, Kassala, and North Darfur. 

The officially registered total number of cases rose to 32,862 with 2,340 deaths and 26,722 recoveries.

It is important to note that the actual number of cases is thought to be much higher. Last year, a study from the Imperial College London showed that around 16,090 deaths may have been missed between the start of the pandemic and November 2020. The scholars revealed that only 2% of COVID-19 deaths in Khartoum have been reported as such.

Last week, three women spoke with the BBC about their experiences of living in Sudan during the pandemic and explained that many people cannot afford tests or masks. This means that most COVID-19 patients are never tested and their infections remain unrecorded.

Miyada Mustafa, a senior specialist in public health and a representative of the Health Promotion Department at the Federal Ministry of Health, confirmed that the last day for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be April 30.

On the National Platform for Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sunday evening, she said that the recent ‘complacency’ of people regarding the pandemic has brought about an increase in cases and deaths. She explained that the pandemic is now in its third wave and has severe impacts, causing illness and death throughout the country.

She called for prayers at home during the month of Ramadan and strict adherence to health precautions if people decide to attend prayers at the mosque. She further called for a reduction in the number of social visits that Sudanese families are used to during this month.

Flights suspension

The Civil Aviation Authority suspended all passenger flights between Sudan and India from Today, Tuesday April 27, until May 27 due to the high rates of infections and the emergence of new strains of COVID-19 in India.

The decision excluded Sudanese from India on the condition that they have proof of a negative COVID-19 test that has been taken within 72 hours prior to arrival at Khartoum Airport and that they commit to a home quarantine period of 14 days.

The authority explained that the decision was based on the recommendation of the Supreme Committee for Health Emergencies.

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
×