Now in its 11th month of armed conflict, which erupted in April last year, Sudan's health facilities have been severely damaged by the ongoing fighting. The closure of many health facilities, coupled with the displacement of large numbers of civilians from the fighting, has exacerbated the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera, dengue, measles and malaria in Sudan, putting millions of people at risk.
Since the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan, more than half of Sudan's states have been plunged into war. According to a report by a UN agency, the conflict has displaced more than 11 million** people in Sudan, making it the largest displacement crisis in the world. At the same time, Sudan's infrastructure has been severely damaged by the fighting, especially the health care system, which is on the verge of collapse. According to WHO, between 70% and 80% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are no longer functioning, about 65% of Sudan's population lacks access to health services, about 15 million people lack access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation, and more than 11 million people are in urgent need of emergency health assistance.
As a result of the failure of the infectious disease surveillance and prevention system and the large-scale movement of displaced persons, infectious disease outbreaks such as cholera and dengue fever have begun to spread widely in Sudan since September last year. Sudan's Ministry of Health recently said that the cholera outbreak has spread to 12 of Sudan's 18 states, with a total of about 10,800 cholera cases reported. In addition, about 4,600 cases of measles and 7,600 cases of dengue fever have been reported.
Ahlam Rasul, Minister of Health, Red Sea State, Sudan: Our task of providing health services to the population is a huge challenge. Many institutions and people from other parts of Sudan have been relocated to Port Sudan, but the limited health facilities here are not enough to cope with the displacement of so many people. Our medicines** are in constant shortage.
At the same time, the food crisis in Sudan is intensifying, with more than 25 million people currently facing malnutrition, of which about 18 million are suffering from acute hunger, and less than 5% of the population has access to one full meal a day. And these populations are all susceptible to infectious diseases. In addition, the water, sewerage and waste disposal** systems in many Sudanese cities have been paralyzed since the outbreak of the conflict, sewage and garbage have not been treated for months, and mosquito and fly infestations have increased the risk of widespread spread of infectious diseases. But as the war continues to rage, a solution to this problem seems far away.