On Friday, the United Nations organization reported that as of September 25th, a total of 264 suspected cases of cholera, four confirmed cases, and 16 related deaths had been recorded in the eastern state.

Investigations are taking place to determine whether the disease has spread to Khartoum and South Kordofan states, which have seen increased cases of acute watery diarrhoea. 

Sampling and surveillance 

WHO is sending emergency teams to the impacted areas and is assisting the Ministry of Health in transporting samples of potential cases to the Public Health Laboratory in Port Sudan.

Monitoring is being conducted in areas that are affected or at high risk in order to detect and tackle potential hazards. A petition is being sent to the global organization responsible for managing emergency supplies of vaccines during significant outbreaks, the ICG, for the provision of oral cholera vaccines.

Access amid war 

On September 17, Dr. Nima Abid, the representative of WHO in Sudan, traveled to Gederaf state and held a meeting with health officials and collaborators to organize a plan for addressing the outbreak.

He emphasized the significance of having unobstructed entry to the impacted regions and surrounding areas.

According to the speaker, a cholera outbreak could be extremely damaging in a healthcare system that is already struggling due to war, lack of medical resources, shortage of healthcare workers, malnutrition, and difficulties with access.

Healthcare under fire 

The conflict in Sudan began in April and has resulted in intense battles between the country’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence has caused the deaths of thousands and forced over five million people to flee, causing ripple effects throughout the surrounding area.

Sudan is currently facing challenges with disease outbreaks and malnutrition, worsened by excessive rainfall and flooding. The healthcare system is struggling due to frequent attacks on facilities, limited availability of medical resources and equipment, shortage of health workers, and insufficient operational funds.

Around 70% of hospitals in states affected by conflict are not operational, while hospitals in other areas are struggling to cope with the large number of people who have been forced to leave their homes due to the conflict.

Assistance, resources, and education

According to the WHO, they had already given supplies for cholera, such as antibiotics, oral rehydration solution, and intravenous fluids, to six states in Sudan before the outbreak was officially declared.

The organization was assisting three separate centers for isolating cholera in the state of Gedaref. They were supplying medications and health items to two of the facilities, and providing equipment and medical supplies to the third.

In the beginning of this year, over 2,800 health professionals from Sudan participated in an internet-based training program organized by WHO to learn about handling acute watery diarrhea during emergencies.

This week, 8,000 healthcare professionals participated in an online course that focused on the management protocols for cholera, dengue, and malaria.

Source: news.un.org