Dr. Richard Brennan, Director of the Emergency Program at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, reported that Sudan has recorded 20,000 cholera cases. He emphasized that there is a highly effective oral cholera vaccine, with additional doses expected in the coming weeks.
Brennan highlighted that medical supplies from Egypt are being sent to Sudan, where cholera is spreading rapidly. Surveillance activities are being intensified to track the number of cases, and the vaccines, which arrived in Sudan late on September 24, will soon be administered. The good news is that WHO has received 1.4 million doses of the vaccine to help control the outbreak. However, the country faces the dual challenges of cholera and severe malnutrition among children, which is resulting in high mortality rates.
Brennan warned that without urgent intervention, Sudan will face a significant death toll due to famine and disease. He stressed WHO’s ongoing efforts to expand access to medicines and vaccines, implement several initiatives to curb drug abuse, and introduce Vitamin A to treat malnutrition. Brennan also noted that there have been 20,000 deaths in Sudan to date, though these figures are broad estimates.
