WHO warns Sudan's cholera outbreak may worsen amid conflict and rains

The World Health Organization has warned that Sudan's cholera outbreak could deteriorate further as the ongoing conflict and the onset of the rainy season threaten to worsen an already dire humanitarian situation. According to Africa News, the outbreak has claimed more than 100 lives and infected over 1,300 people across several states, including North Kordofan, where access remains severely constrained.

The WHO said the true number of fatalities is likely to be much higher, and expressed concern that the disease could spread among displaced populations in areas where healthcare access is limited. The case fatality rate in the current outbreak is extremely high at nearly 14 per cent, the agency reported.

Coverage comparison

Reports from Africa News indicate that at least 120 people have died from cholera infection, with 1,102 suspected cases recorded since May. The outbreak is Sudan's third wave of cholera in as many years and began only two months after the previous outbreak was declared over in March, according to the WHO.

In contrast, AllAfrica reports a more optimistic picture from Sudan's Federal Minister of Health, Dr Haitham Ibrahim, who says cholera cases in the Mazroub area of North Kordofan have declined in recent weeks, with only a small number of cases recorded and no evidence of wider transmission. The minister noted that health authorities, prompted by national disease surveillance data, have directed organisations operating in the area to provide medical supplies and establish isolation centres in West Kordofan localities.

Key claims

  • More than three years of war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has decimated the country's healthcare system.
  • Sudan is the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with over 33 million people in need of assistance.
  • The WHO has received only a third of the funding it needs this year, hampering its operations.
  • Cholera cases in Mazroub have declined compared with recent weeks, according to Sudan's Federal Minister of Health.
  • An isolation centre has been established in Mazroub, with international organisations providing medical supplies in coordination with local authorities.