Disease, soaring drug prices create new battle for survival in Sudan

September 29, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – A wave of deadly epidemics, including cholera and dengue fever, is sweeping through Sudan, creating a new crisis for citizens who say the struggle to find and afford scarce medicine is now more dangerous than the war itself.

The war-torn country’s collapsing health system has led to severe shortages of essential drugs, with prices on the black market soaring beyond the reach of most. The cost of a single intravenous dose of Panadol, critical for treating high fevers associated with dengue, has hit as much as 40,000 Sudanese pounds, residents said.

In Khartoum, the pain reliever is available in only six pharmacies, most of which are located in the Omdurman area, doctors told Sudan Tribune. Patients face long queues, and pharmacies have begun rationing the drug, initially dispensing only a single dose.

“The poor health conditions and lack of medicine and food have forced some who had returned home to become displaced once again,” said Siham Rahmatalla, a resident of the city’s East Nile district.

Disease hotspots

Health workers have identified several areas in and around the capital, including the southern belt and Al-Kalakla districts, as hotspots for cholera, dengue, and malaria.

“We are recording daily cases of dengue and cholera due to the lack of medicine,” said Ahmed Youssef Mohammed, a member of the Khartoum Emergency Room, who called for international aid groups to launch a large-scale clean-up of the capital to control the spread of disease.

Medical reports from Omdurman also indicate a rise in pulmonary tuberculosis linked to famine, according to Mubarak al-Fadil al-Mahdi, head of the Umma Party. He said tuberculosis was now on a growing list of epidemics hitting the country.

Official response and statistics

An official from the National Council for the Supervision of Medicines and Poisons, Mohammed Bashir, told Sudan Tribune that authorities had recently seized substandard drugs and were taking legal action to combat smuggled and unregistered medicines. He said that drug prices were subject to government controls, a claim that contrasts with reports from residents.

According to a weekly report from the Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum state alone accounted for 74% of the 2,065 dengue fever cases recorded across five states last Thursday. The report also confirmed 1,194 cholera cases in 13 states and 44 suspected cases of hepatitis in Gezira state.