Sudanese health services deteriorate as disease spreads

Cases of dengue fever and cholera continue to spread across Sudan. The federal Ministry of Health announced that 3,414 cases of dengue fever were recorded, including 38 deaths, in the period from April 15 to October 20 in nine states. Meanwhile, Nyala’s health services have reported a “terrible” decline. The Sharg El Nil Emergency Room in Khartoum North resumed its operations on Monday, after a two-week closure. 

The Sudanese Health Ministry reported yesterday that eastern Sudan’s El Gedaref recorded 2,231 cases of dengue fever*. 145 cases were identified in El Gezira, 490 in North Kordofan, and 286 in North Darfur. 

The ministry’s report explained that the state most affected by the disease is El Gedaref, due to the region’s high density of mosquitoes and the relative lack of herd immunity. The Ministry reported that the supply of intravenous solutions and pendulum drops for treatment is stable in all states. 

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, the World Health Organisation scaled up its intervention in Sudan at the beginning of October and announced that they are “currently deploying rapid response teams to the affected localities” and “actively supporting the Ministry of Health to transfer samples of suspected cholera cases to the Public Health Laboratory in Port Sudan.” 

In El Gedaref, committees have been established to combat cholera cases throughout the state. 

Cholera and measles 

Cholera cases have spread in four states, with the Ministry of Health reporting of 1,617 suspected cases, including 64 deaths. 744 cases were reported from El Gedaref, 256 from Khartoum, 217 from El Gezira, and 400 from South Kordofan. 

In El Gezira, the Ministry of Health announced 10 cases of cholera on Saturday. The administration reported that the cumulative number of cases rose to 227 suspected cases of cholera, including 193 positive cases by rapid examination and 5 deaths. 

The Ministry confirmed 4,166 cases of measles, including 101 deaths , in 11 states. Khartoum recorded eight cases, El Gedaref 59 cases, El Gezira 212 cases, and Kassala 290. 

Hospitals 

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Mohamed Abdelaziz, a professor at Nyala University, confirmed a “terrible deterioration” in health services in the city as the Turkish Hospital is short of medical staff, medicines, and equipment. 

The Sharg El Nil Emergency Room in Khartoum North announced the reopening of its hospital on Monday after a two-day closure in the wake of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks on the hospital staff on Saturday. 

The emergency room said in a statement that the hospital was opened after consultations with working medical personnel and Médecins Sans Frontières, and expressed its hope that such attacks would not be repeated. On Saturday, it announced the temporary closure of the hospital after the RSF attacked a female doctor at the hospital in El Darf, and opened fire in the air in front of the hospital gate. 

Last week, the Emergency Room of Sharg El Nil called on the Ministry of Health to “contain the spread of cholera before it turns into a humanitarian disaster,” and appealed to international medical organisations to intervene. Last week, they reported 14 confirmed cholera cases, resulting in three deaths.

*Dengue (aka break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Most people who get dengue will not have symptoms. But for those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash.