Sudan launches five-year plan to cut cholera deaths by 90%

April 22, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Ministry of Health, in partnership with government agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO), has launched a strategic plan to reduce cholera cases and cut related deaths by 90% by 2030.

The initiative, introduced on April 16, comes six weeks after health authorities declared the end of a previous cholera epidemic following a large-scale vaccination drive.

The WHO said on Wednesday that the “National Cholera Control Strategic Plan (2026-2030)” involves collaboration among the ministries of agriculture, irrigation, and finance, as well as international partners.

The roadmap aims to lower the national cholera incidence rate to fewer than 42 cases per 100,000 people. It brings together multi-sectoral actors to eliminate the disease as a public health threat through a coordinated approach to prevention and control.

A multi-sectoral response will focus on 52 priority areas identified through consultations led by the Global Task Force on Cholera Control.

Over the past three years, Sudan has faced two major cholera outbreaks. The most recent, which began in July 2024, resulted in 124,418 infections and 3,573 deaths across all 18 states before it was contained in March 2026.

The WHO is currently pre-positioning supplies in high-risk zones ahead of the upcoming rainy season. Flooding and contamination of water sources during this period frequently trigger outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

The rainy season remains a critical period for Sudan, as poor road conditions often hamper the delivery of food and medical supplies to remote areas.

Simon Sentamu, deputy incident manager for the WHO in Sudan, called the plan a significant step toward prevention while strengthening readiness for future outbreaks. He added that the WHO remains committed to providing technical, operational, and supply chain support to the health ministry.

Separately, the Ministry of Health’s emergency operations centre reported an increase in dengue fever cases in River Nile state, though rates have declined in Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, and Northern states.

Authorities also recorded five cases of meningitis without fatalities in Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, Gedaref, and North Kordofan. Additionally, 116 new cases of Hepatitis E were reported in Al-Jazirah and Blue Nile states.

The centre also noted 118 measles cases across White Nile, Al-Jazirah, North Darfur, and Kassala states, while malaria rates have begun to rise again following a brief decline in several regions.