Access to healthcare in Sudan severely constrained due to attacks, shortages: WHO

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) — People in Sudan continue to face severe constraints accessing health care due to a lack of security, attacks, shortage of medicines and medical supplies, health personnel, and cash to cover health facilities' operational costs, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

"With 70-80% of hospitals in conflict hotspots non-functional, people are dying from a lack of access to basic and essential healthcare and medication," Margaret Harris, WHO spokesperson, said at a UN news conference.

"Separately, according to Khartoum State Ministry of Health report of July 2024, only 25% of hospitals and 16% of primary health care centers are functional in the state."

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, with at least 12,260 people having been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict, according to UN figures.

Harris said critical services, including maternal and child health care, the management of severe acute malnutrition, and the treatment of patients with chronic conditions, have been discontinued in many areas at a time when they are needed the most.

"Across Sudan, women are dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications," said the UN spokesperson.

"The disruption of childhood vaccinations (routine immunization), disease surveillance and vector control, coupled with access issues and natural disasters, have created conducive conditions for spreading disease outbreaks."

- Displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks

Displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and the inability to access care for chronic conditions and maternal and newborn health needs also continue to lead to morbidity and mortality in Sudan's population.

Harris said many areas in the country remain largely inaccessible to humanitarian actors.

Insecurity, bureaucratic hurdles, and logistical challenges have restricted the WHO and its partners' capacity to directly assist health facilities in the regions of Darfur, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, and Kordofan.

"Recent escalations in Sennar are also impacting our operations in the state, while road blockage is creating access challenges for Blue Nile and White Nile states with needed life-saving medical supplies," said Harris.

With the onset of the rainy season, the population, particularly those uprooted sheltering in makeshift sites and tents, has been exposed to further displacement, contagious diseases, and the direct threat of heavy rainfall and flooding.

The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen in Sudan as nearly 6.8 million people have fled their homes, seeking safety in other parts of the country or neighboring nations.

Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi Arabia and US mediators have failed to end the violence.