A cholera outbreak in Sudan has resulted in 172 deaths and over 2,500 illnesses this past week, concentrated in Khartoum and Omdurman. Many residents returning home find unsafe drinking water and health services that are unable to manage the crisis. The civil war has devastated the country, exacerbating factors conducive to disease spread. Currently, cholera treatment is hindered by a breakdown in health infrastructure, and other diseases are also prevalent.
In Sudan, a rapid cholera outbreak has emerged, leading to a tragic death toll of 172 people and more than 2,500 others falling ill within just a week. The crisis is particularly severe in Khartoum and Omdurman, where unsanitary conditions have become commonplace as many citizens return from fleeing the ongoing civil conflict. Basic health and sanitation systems have nearly collapsed due to sustained fighting, exacerbating the public health crisis.
The Sudanese Health Ministry reports a dramatic spike in cholera cases, with instances rising from 90 daily to 815 between May 15 and May 25. Since the start of the year, health officials have documented approximately 7,700 cholera cases, including over 1,000 among children under four. Most of these infections are concentrated in Khartoum and Omdurman, although cholera has been identified in five additional provinces.
Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, describes the situation in treatment centers as overwhelming. “The scenes are disturbing. Many patients are arriving too late to be saved. We don’t know the true scale of the outbreak,” Bakker stated, emphasizing that healthcare teams are only capturing a small fraction of the complete picture.
Khartoum and Omdurman have been battlegrounds throughout the civil war, which has severely depleted the population. After the military took back control from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in March, approximately 34,000 residents returned to a region deeply damaged by conflict. Attacks on infrastructure, especially power plants, have hindered water supply and led to widespread shortages of clean drinking water.
“People have been drinking polluted water and transferring it into unhygienic containers,” said Dr. Rania Elsayegh from Sudan’s Doctors for Human Rights. There is mounting concern among health workers that cholera could spread rapidly, especially with many displaced individuals living in crowded conditions. A staggering 80% of the hospitals are inoperative, leaving just a few facilities that are also struggling with shortages of medicines and basic utilities.
Cholera is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “disease of poverty,” typically spreading in areas with inadequate sanitation and contaminated water supplies. The disease arises from ingesting food or water tainted with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Treatment is straightforward with rehydration aids and antibiotics, yet severe cases can lead to death within hours if not addressed promptly.
Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has left the nation in disarray, with over 24,000 fatalities reported. Displacement has affected more than 14 million people, many of whom have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Additionally, the ongoing conflict has led to devastating famine in key regions, including Darfur, and has coincided with horrifying acts of violence.
This isn’t Sudan’s first experience with cholera. In 2017, an outbreak resulted in 700 deaths, with thousands more affected. Previous epidemics have hit the country hard, rapidly spreading across several provinces. According to health authorities, more than 20,000 individuals were infected during a critical outbreak in late 2021, of which 626 died. Just earlier this year, another cholera outbreak resulted in over 2,600 infections and 90 deaths, particularly impacting White Nile province.
Other infectious diseases are also re-emerging in Sudan, with dengue fever affecting about 12,900 people and claiming at least 20 lives in the last week alone, alongside meningitis outbreaks that have resulted in 12 deaths as reported by the Health Ministry. These compounding health crises underline the dire need for a comprehensive response to Sudan’s ongoing humanitarian issues.
In summary, Sudan is grappling with a severe cholera outbreak that has claimed over 170 lives amidst a backdrop of civil war and humanitarian crises. The lack of clean water and collapsing health infrastructure has facilitated the spread of cholera, with numbers of cases rapidly rising. Despite the known treatability of cholera, the ongoing conflict and public health failures may lead to even greater tragedies in the future. The situation remains critical as other diseases also emerge, indicating the pressing need for international aid and intervention.
Original Source: www.newsday.com
