Thirst, hemorrhagic fever in Sudan’s Red Sea state

People living in the eastern Sudanese Red Sea state are complaining of a shortage of drinking water that has lasted for nearly nine months. “There is no indication that the water problem will be solved soon,” activist Amin Sinada told Radio Dabanga from the Port Sudan, the capital of Red Sea state. “The crisis may become even worse, as the commercial water prices are increasing.” He accused state officials of being behind the interruption of drinking water supplies to residential districts. “They are using the water for their personal benefits.”  Sinada also reported that hemorrhagic fever has re-emerged in the state. “The health authorities, however, are attempting to cover up this repeated emergency. Hemorrhagic fever patients have been transferred to hospitals in Port Sudan, but the authorities ordered the medical staff not to provide any information on the cases to the press.” El Gedaref Mustafa El Sayed Khalil, the former Minister of Health of El Gedaref state has warned for the consequences of an increase of 10.6 percent of trachoma cases. He stressed to Radio Dabanga that this rate calls for intervention by the standards of the World Health Organisation. Khartoum Member of Parliament Esam Maher reported that monthly 180 new cases of an epidemiological infection of Helicobacter pylori appear in southern Khartoum’s densely populated El Kalakla district. The bacteria is commonly transmitted by saliva, but can also be spread by faecal contamination of food or water. It may lead to ulcers and stomach cancer, Maher warned. The MP attributed the spread of the bacteria to the contamination of water and food in the district. He also reported that ten health centres in Khartoum state had to close their doors because of electricity outages. File photo: A relative of a malaria patient in Khartoum