Sudan's health landscape is deteriorating rapidly, with cholera claims rising dramatically amidst ongoing conflict, prompting urgent calls for international aid and immediate health intervention.
Sudan Faces Imminent Health Crisis Amid Cholera Outbreak
Sudan Faces Imminent Health Crisis Amid Cholera Outbreak
The escalating cholera outbreak in war-torn Sudan poses a grave threat to public health.
The article text:
War-torn Sudan is now "on the brink" of a public health disaster, as cholera and other deadly diseases spread, warns the International Rescue Committee (IRC). In just one week, Sudan's Health Ministry reported 172 deaths attributed to a cholera outbreak, primarily concentrated in Khartoum state. Local doctors, as reported by Sudanese media, indicate that drone attacks have caused power outages at essential water purification facilities, leaving residents reliant on contaminated water.
IRC's country director for Sudan, Eatizaz Yousif, stressed that the civil war, now in its third year, is exacerbating the resurgence of cholera. The IRC also highlighted concerning statistics on the low vaccine coverage and decreasing availability of essential medical supplies. Additionally, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has noted thousands of suspected cholera cases surfacing in Khartoum since mid-last month.
MSF's medical coordinator in Sudan, Slaymen Ammar, reported the ongoing conflict has severely compromised basic infrastructure, rendering healthcare in parts of the capital either unavailable or unaffordable. Many healthcare professionals have been forced to flee due to the persistent violence. Those few remaining in the field are facing overwhelming pressures with reports of up to 500 cholera cases in just one day within the past week.
While most people infected with cholera may experience mild symptoms or none at all, the disease can turn fatal due to severe dehydration, necessitating antibiotics and IV fluids for effective treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to over 150,000 deaths and displaced millions, plunging the nation into what the UN describes as the world's most severe humanitarian crisis.
War-torn Sudan is now "on the brink" of a public health disaster, as cholera and other deadly diseases spread, warns the International Rescue Committee (IRC). In just one week, Sudan's Health Ministry reported 172 deaths attributed to a cholera outbreak, primarily concentrated in Khartoum state. Local doctors, as reported by Sudanese media, indicate that drone attacks have caused power outages at essential water purification facilities, leaving residents reliant on contaminated water.
IRC's country director for Sudan, Eatizaz Yousif, stressed that the civil war, now in its third year, is exacerbating the resurgence of cholera. The IRC also highlighted concerning statistics on the low vaccine coverage and decreasing availability of essential medical supplies. Additionally, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has noted thousands of suspected cholera cases surfacing in Khartoum since mid-last month.
MSF's medical coordinator in Sudan, Slaymen Ammar, reported the ongoing conflict has severely compromised basic infrastructure, rendering healthcare in parts of the capital either unavailable or unaffordable. Many healthcare professionals have been forced to flee due to the persistent violence. Those few remaining in the field are facing overwhelming pressures with reports of up to 500 cholera cases in just one day within the past week.
While most people infected with cholera may experience mild symptoms or none at all, the disease can turn fatal due to severe dehydration, necessitating antibiotics and IV fluids for effective treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to over 150,000 deaths and displaced millions, plunging the nation into what the UN describes as the world's most severe humanitarian crisis.
