The cholera outbreak in Sudan has resulted in at least 22 deaths and 354 confirmed cases across the country, as reported by Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim. The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a context indicating that since the beginning of the year, 78 deaths and over 2,400 cases have been recorded up until July 28, 2024.
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Cholera is a bacterial infection that spreads through the consumption of contaminated food or water. It causes severe diarrhea leading to dehydration and if untreated, death within hours.
The outbreak began in the eastern province of Kassala before spreading to nine localities across five provinces. This spread is alarming especially given the weakened healthcare infrastructure in Sudan.
Many of those affected by the outbreak had not been vaccinated against cholera. This has contributed to the spread and severity of the outbreak.
Sudan has been in a conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group.
The conflict has destroyed much of Sudan’s civilian infrastructure including hospitals and medical facilities.
Many healthcare providers have been forced to close due to the lack of basic supplies and security leaving the population vulnerable to disease outbreaks such as cholera.
The conflict has led to the world’s largest displacement crisis with more than 10.7 million people forced to flee their homes.
Over 2 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries. The displaced populations are vulnerable to diseases like cholera due to overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.
Sudan has been hit by seasonal floods in recent weeks. These floods have killed dozens of people and displaced approximately 118,000 across 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces.
The primary cause of the cholera outbreak has been identified as contaminated drinking water. The conflict has impacted infrastructure leading to the breakdown of essential services including water supply and sanitation systems.
The floods have also contributed to the cholera outbreak by contaminating water sources and worsening sanitation conditions.
The floods have displaced thousands of people and have also destroyed infrastructure, making it difficult to contain the spread of the disease.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a huge number of detected cholera cases involved individuals who had not been vaccinated.
The cholera outbreak has occurred during a brutal civil war that began in April 2023. The conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), under the command of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”.
The conflict has led to the closure of many hospitals and medical facilities leaving large portions of the population without access to essential healthcare.
The destruction of infrastructure has made it nearly impossible to manage the cholera outbreak effectively, as the few remaining healthcare facilities are under-resourced.
The civil war has caused massive displacement with over 10.7 million people forced to flee their homes.
This displacement has created overcrowded conditions in refugee camps and informal settlements, where access to clean water and sanitation is limited.
Floods have affected 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces, killing dozens of people and displacing approximately 118,000 more.
The WHO has been actively involved in responding to the cholera outbreak in Sudan. WHO officials have confirmed that the cholera cases are concentrated in the eastern province of Kassala but have since spread to nine localities across five provinces.
The WHO is working with Sudanese health authorities and other partners to implement a vaccination campaign to curb the spread of the disease.
An outbreak in 2017 resulted in over 700 deaths and approximately 22,000 infections in less than two months.
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