World Health Day 2025: Sudan’s mothers and babies face health catastrophe

On April 7, the world comes together to observe World Health Day, an annual initiative led by the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) to spotlight critical health issues. This year’s theme focuses on maternal and infant health, underscoring the importance of proper medical care, nutrition, and support during pregnancy and early childhood. However, in Sudan, a country ravaged by conflict, the reality is starkly different. Millions of mothers and babies are caught in a deepening humanitarian crisis, struggling to survive amid food shortages, collapsing healthcare services, and widespread displacement.

As we mark World Heath Day 2025 today, the conflict in Sudan has created a catastrophic hunger crisis, with mothers and children among the worst affected. The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of an alarming rise in child malnutrition, driven by famine. Displacement and conflict have destroyed food supplies, leaving millions without access to adequate nutrition. In particular, refugee and internally displaced children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition that requires immediate intervention.

A recent report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) revealed staggering malnutrition rates across Sudan, with children dying from preventable causes due to a lack of medical attention. UNICEF has also raised concerns that Sudan’s current crisis will have long-term consequences, not just for the health of children but for the future of the country.

Sudan’s healthcare system has collapsed under the weight of war. Many hospitals and medical facilities have been destroyed, while ongoing violence has forced humanitarian organisations to suspend their operations. In Zamzam camp in the North Darfur capital El Fasher, home to 500,000 displaced people, MSF had no choice but to halt medical services due to escalating violence. The withdrawal of humanitarian aid has left countless families without essential healthcare, placing expectant mothers and newborns at extreme risk.

With little to no prenatal or postnatal care available, pregnant women are at elevated risk of complications, while newborns are left vulnerable to preventable diseases. At the same time, childhood illnesses like measles and cholera are making a deadly comeback, spreading rapidly due to unsanitary conditions and a lack of vaccinations.

Due to the limited availability of prenatal and postnatal care, pregnant women face an elevated risk of complications, and newborns are susceptible to preventable diseases.

On top of food shortages and collapsing medical services, women and girls in Sudan face another grim reality- widespread gender-based violence (GBV). Conflict zones have become especially dangerous, with reports of targeted attacks, sexual violence, and forced displacement increasing by the day. For pregnant women and new mothers, the threat of violence compounds their already dire situation, making access to healthcare and humanitarian aid even more difficult.

As World Health Day 2025 is observed, Sudan’s deepening health emergency warrants urgent international attention. Alarming levels of hunger, the collapse of healthcare infrastructure, and the deteriorating conditions facing women and children highlight the severity of the crisis. Without immediate support- including food assistance, medical supplies, and broader humanitarian aid- the situation is likely to worsen.

Governments, humanitarian agencies, and global health bodies are being urged to respond immediately to help prevent further loss of life. Mothers and infants in Sudan remain among the most vulnerable, and there is growing concern that their suffering risks being overlooked.

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