Sudan doctors warn of cholera resurgence in Khartoum as health crisis deepens
August 8, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s doctors union warned on Saturday of a resurgence of cholera and dengue fever in the capital Khartoum, driven by ongoing fighting, collapsing infrastructure, and contaminated water supplies.
The Preliminary Committee of the Sudan Doctors Union expressed concern that the diseases could rapidly spread to neighbouring states, given the accumulation of waste and severe breakdown of environmental sanitation across the war-torn city.
Dr Adiba Ibrahim Al-Sayyed, an internal medicine and epidemiology specialist with the union, told Reuters that 25 new cholera cases were documented in Khartoum.
The cases include seven in West Omdurman, 11 in the Southern Belt area, and seven in East Nile, Al-Sayyed said, adding that additional uncounted cases were identified in the Al-Ezba area of Khartoum Bahri.
Al-Sayyed urged authorities to take immediate action to isolate affected zones, improve sanitation, and secure medical supplies to prevent a larger outbreak.
Sudan’s health infrastructure has been pushed to the brink of collapse after months of conflict between rival military factions, leaving millions without reliable access to clean water or primary medical care.
Khartoum State’s Ministry of Health offered a more optimistic assessment, reporting a drop in malaria cases over the past week and stating that medical supplies remained stable.
Dr Mohamed Hassan Omer, head of preventive medicine at the ministry, said biological tests indicated that Karari locality was currently free of contamination indicators.
The ministry acknowledged shortages in some intravenous fluids but said it was working to restore strategic reserves, noting that essential and life-saving drug availability in the state ranged between 77% and 90%.
Local health officials said they inspected thousands of food preparation venues, shutting down 182 for health violations, and distributed more than 100,000 chlorine tablets to help sterilize household water supplies.