Sudan grapples with new wave of disease outbreaks as conflict rages on

Transcript

00:00For more than two years, without spraying or other basic controls, Khartoum and other

00:12Sudanese cities have become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

00:16The result, a sharp surge in mosquito-borne infectious diseases.

00:21Thousands of malaria and dengue cases have been reported in just days.

00:26Doctors here in Khartoum say more than 14,000 people have fallen ill with dengue fever and

00:31malaria this month alone.

00:33A tiny fraction of those infected have died.

00:37Patients suffer high fever, severe muscle pain and extreme fatigue.

00:42In some serious cases, dengue can cause internal bleeding, shock or even death.

00:49I returned from Egypt 10 days ago.

00:51I suddenly had a fever and headache.

00:54When I was diagnosed with dengue fever and malaria, it's really painful and the relief

01:00is low despite the medication I get here.

01:04This outbreak has spiraled because Sudan's health system has collapsed under war.

01:09Health officials are only beginning to track the scale of the crisis.

01:14We are now investigating the cases of dengue fever to know the pattern and the stereotyping

01:19of the disease in Khartoum state.

01:21It will help to know how big it is.

01:23It also helps in measuring the consumption of medication and the urgent interventions.

01:28Simple mosquito spraying could have slowed the spread, but with war disturbing every service,

01:35authorities say they are helpless.

01:40The state was occupied by the RSF militia for two years.

01:44Health facilities were occupied as well.

01:46This prevented any efforts to prevent the pandemics as the state was a war zone.

01:52Even medical staff were targeted and killed and ambulances were looted.

01:57Once busy streets are now swamped, with waste boiling up and no clean-up inside.

02:03Preventable diseases are sweeping through communities like wildfire in the country left without protection.

02:09have a lot of concern.