Increase in Cholera and Dengue Fever Outbreaks in Eastern Sudan; UN: Climate Change Alongside Poverty and Conflict Are Culprits

On Tuesday, October 4th, the UN health agency reported outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever in eastern Sudan. This comes as thousands have sought refuge in crowded camps amid a deadly civil war between the country's army and a militia group. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 162 individuals suspected of having cholera have been hospitalized in hospitals in the Qadarif province of Sudan and other areas along the border with Ethiopia. The WHO reported that there are 80 confirmed cases of cholera, and 10 people have died from this bacterial infection caused by contaminated food or water. The escalation of conflict in Sudan this spring between the army and a powerful militia group has led to open warfare in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and other regions across this East African country. Additionally, the NGO 'Doctors Without Borders' has set up two centers to treat cholera patients along with two mobile teams in Qadarif. The WHO and the UN Refugee Agency have also rebuilt a cholera quarantine center at the Qadarif Teaching Hospital, the main medical center in the province. Cholera outbreaks are not unusual in the impoverished country of Sudan. In the last major outbreak in 2017, approximately 22,000 people were infected, resulting in at least 700 deaths. The WHO reported that an outbreak of cholera in neighboring Ethiopia, which began in August 2022, has sickened at least 20,000 people and caused over 270 deaths, affecting seven regions, including areas along the border with Sudan. The WHO announced that over 500 suspected cases of dengue fever have been reported in Sudan, mostly in urban centers in Qadarif province. Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. According to the WHO, the actual number of cases is likely much higher, as most patients often do not go to hospitals and rely on home treatments. The Sudanese Doctors Union states that 'hundreds' of dengue fever patients have died in eastern Sudan and has described the outbreak as a 'health crisis.' This organization has not provided a timeline for the deaths but states that most hospitals in Qadarif are filled with patients. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, heavy rains and floods since July have destroyed or damaged at least 13,000 homes in seven provinces of Sudan, affecting over 72,000 people. The WHO reported last month that while poverty and conflict remain persistent drivers of cholera worldwide, the occurrence of powerful storms, heavy rains, and floods due to climate change are exacerbating the spread of the disease.