Health concerns have escalated in Sudan due to the rapid spread of fevers and other diseases across the country, especially in the capital Khartoum, which the Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate described as an “epidemic” outbreak.

The syndicate warned of serious consequences due to the failure to acknowledge the outbreaks, with high mortality rates recorded among populations exhausted by the ongoing war since mid-April 2023.

Official Negligence

The Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate accused the Ministry of Health of negligence in confronting the pandemic, stating in a Monday statement: “We are following with great concern the spread of various fevers and disease vectors in most Sudanese states, epidemically in Khartoum and Gezira states, alongside the continued spread of cholera in Darfur and Kassala states.”

It added: “This comes amid the complete collapse of the health system and the absence of a unified system for epidemic surveillance and disease monitoring, which has left the Ministry of Health unable to provide accurate statistics on the scale of the outbreak and to confront it. All indicators point to a major health and humanitarian crisis.”

The syndicate called on the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities to officially declare the outbreak and notify the World Health Organization, and to activate international and regional cooperation protocols.

It also urged the launch of an urgent campaign to tackle the severe health crisis sweeping across the country and to implement treatment protocols.

Adiba Ibrahim Al-Sayed, a public health consultant and member of the Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate committee, warned against negligence in addressing the current health situation, pointing to deteriorating environmental conditions, accumulating waste, and lack of potable water.

Al-Sayed stressed the urgent need for intervention by the World Health Organization and the Red Cross, but told Sky News Arabia that the Ministry of Health is the responsible party for communication with WHO and other international organizations.

She explained: “Unless the Ministry of Health officially declares the epidemic allowing urgent intervention by WHO and other organizations, the situation will worsen.”

Al-Sayed blamed the war and its related consequences as a direct cause of the disease outbreaks and worsening health conditions in the country.

Severe Deterioration

A report published by the Coordination of Sudanese Professionals and Unions, which includes several health bodies, indicated a major deterioration in the health sector with 80% of hospitals out of service and over 70% of doctors, nurses, and health workers displaced or emigrated.

The report highlighted the worsening conditions of the remaining health workers amid salary suspensions for more than 24 months and the killing of at least 73 medical staff since the start of the war.

Hospitals also suffer from continuous electricity and water outages, which disrupt the operation of medical devices.

The coordination stated: “Sudan today faces one of the most dangerous humanitarian crises in its modern history. Since the outbreak of the war, the health system has almost completely collapsed, epidemics have spread widely, and the economy has failed to provide the minimum necessities of life. Millions of citizens are trapped between disease, hunger, lack of care, and deprivation of basic services.”

A Real Crisis

The deteriorating economic situation, with 60% of households losing their income sources and some medicine prices rising by up to 500%, increases patients’ suffering.

Following the war, the population’s access to healthcare dropped to less than 17% of the total population of about 48 million.

Despite WHO and other international organizations providing large quantities of free life-saving medicines, patients’ families complain of severe drug shortages in hospitals amid accusations of widespread corruption in drug distribution and diversion of supplies to the black market.

Mohamed Al-Nour told Sky News Arabia: “I spend more than 200,000 Sudanese pounds daily on treating my wife and two children after they contracted dengue fever, which equals my monthly salary.”

Al-Nour, a teacher, explained: “We face great difficulty obtaining IV fluids and medicines from hospitals and have to buy them from the black market.”