Sudan confirms three new monkeypox cases in Ethiopian refugee camp
September 25, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities confirmed on Sunday three new cases of monkeypox in a camp for Ethiopian refugees in eastern Sudan.
Osman Abdallah, the commissioner of the locality of Al-Mafaza in Gadaref state disclosed to Sudan Tribune that the new cases of the viral disease were identified in Tunaydbah camp which اhas hosted Ethiopian refugees since January 2021.
“Three cases of the disease have been confirmed among the residents of the camp,” Abdallah told Sudan Tribune. Later in the evening, Gadaref State’s Ministry of Health issued a statement confirming the monkeypox cases.
The Tunaydbah camp, which is located in the western part of Gedaref, hosts more than 24,890 refugees, according to the statistics of the refugee commission.
The commissioner said they took the decision to confine the camp to prevent the spread of the disease to the other areas in Gederaf state, particularly the Tunaydbah town located five km from the camp.
The authorities have started implementing health measures including “environmental sanitation, control of entry to the camp, and campaigns to raise awareness among the refugees about the dangers of contracting the disease and how to protect themselves,” he added.
According to the World Health Organization, Monkeypox spreads through close contact with a contaminated person, skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth, or mouth-to-skin contact.
The Ministry of Health in Gedaref stated that it had received reports of 60 suspected cases from a humanitarian group in the camp. In addition, there are two suspected cases in Um Rakuba camp where they are over 21,000 refugees.
Anouar Banga, Director of the Health Emergencies and Epidemic Control Department in the state, said that they would convene a meeting with the humanitarian assistance groups and relevant authorities to discuss ways to control the disease.
On September 20, the federal authorities said that seven cases have been confirmed in Sudan including one in Kassala of eastern Sudan and another in Khartoum state.
The first case of monkeypox disease in Sudan appeared in West Darfur state.
(ST)