“My cancer-stricken son used to take 5 pills daily; now we have no treatment,” laments a Sudanese father. 16-year-old Hajjaj Musa Idris, weakened by both cancer and a lack of treatment, watches his friends play football rather than join them. Diagnosed with blood cancer in 2020, Hajjaj, along with his father, traveled every two months from their home state of Kassala to the capital, Khartoum, to secure a two-month supply of medication.
However, the conflict that erupted in Sudan on April 15th disrupted this lifeline. Hajjaj’s last chemotherapy dose was received in May. A deeply concerned father told the BBC, “He used to take five pills daily. We fear the disease’s return due to the lack of treatment.”
Salaf Hamed, an employee at a medical institution, points to a “complete interruption” of chemotherapy doses in Al-Jazeera state, which resulted in the death of four children last month. The scarcity of doses, she asserts, is due to dwindling donations, transport challenges from other states, and exorbitant prices – a box of pills costs $290. The black market, with chemotherapy doses ranging from $150 to $400, exacerbates the crisis.
In May, the “We All Matter” organization transferred children with cancer from Khartoum to Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazeera state, after individuals resembling Rapid Support Forces attacked “Jowana Amal” – a facility catering to child cancer patients – and stole money.
Sudan houses three major centers for oncology treatments: Khartoum, Marawi, and Wad Madani. Due to the chemotherapy shortage, patients from all states flock to Wad Madani’s oncology center at Al-Zarqa Hospital in Al-Jazeera.
Dr. Mirghani Talal Mirghani, an oncologist at Al-Zarqa Hospital and a volunteer at Madani Hospital, describes the situation as “catastrophic”. The center’s inventory is not equipped to handle the influx, having received 2,800 patients this year compared to 1,600 last year. Adding to the dire circumstances, the hospital’s radiation therapy machines are out of service. “Both machines are non-operational. The oncology department remains open for patient consultations, but we are limited to offering painkillers, which are also scarce,” he said.
Dr. Mirghani confirms that the disease has spread aggressively among patients, both adults and children, due to treatment disruptions. As for Musa Idris, he fears a brutal return of his son Hajjaj’s illness, reminiscent of the intense suffering in 2020.
