Sudan medics warn that cholera and dengue fever are spreading. The coming of seasonal rains and the impact of more than five months of conflict on a health system that was already failing before he began combat have prompted medical professionals in Sudan to warn that cholera and dengue fever are spreading throughout the country.
The initial case of cholera was discovered in al-Qadarif state in late August, according to the authorities in charge of public health, who said that the disease had been proven for the first time since the conflict between competing armed factions broke out in the middle of April.
Cholera has claimed the lives of 18 individuals and infected 265 others in al-Qadarif state, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health of the Federal Government late Tuesday.
The Sudanese doctors’ syndicate reported 3,398 instances of dengue fever registered between the middle of April and the middle of September across the states of al-Qadarif, Red Sea, North Kordofan, and Khartoum.
“These numbers represent the tip of the iceberg and are much lower than suspected cases in homes and from those buried without record,” the statement stated. “These numbers are much lower than suspected cases in homes and from those buried without record.”
It pointed to the contamination of drinking water by garbage and unburied remains, as well as a lack of preparedness of medical facilities before the rainy season, as two of the causes that contributed to the outbreak.
Residents of al-Qadarif, an eastern state that is important to Sudan’s rain-fed agricultural production and borders Ethiopia, told Reuters that dengue fever, malaria, cholera, and diarrhea had been spreading in part due to a lack of rainwater drainage and that health facilities were severely overcrowded due to the arrival of people displaced from Khartoum. Al-Qadarif is located in the eastern region of Sudan.
Since fighting broke out between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, there have been scores of assaults on healthcare institutions. The majority of Khartoum’s hospitals are no longer functioning properly.
Because of the war, more than 4.2 million people have been forced to leave their homes, and approximately 1.2 million have migrated to neighboring countries. This has placed an enormous strain on Sudan’s limited resources. The funding for international aid operations is quite inadequate.
The United Nations reported a week ago that more than 1,200 children had died in refugee camps in White Nile in Sudan from suspected cases of measles and starvation. Additionally, the UN said that cholera, dengue fever, and malaria presented a concern throughout the country.
In Sudan, an epidemic of dengue fever has been documented. Repeated infections can lead to more severe symptoms and even death, making preventing these infections a priority in the long term.
