Dengue fever kills 253 in Sudan’s Omdurman – doctors’ union

October 16, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – A dengue fever outbreak has killed 253 people and infected over 7,600 in Omdurman, Sudan’s third-largest city, the Steering Committee for the Sudanese Doctors’ Union said on Wednesday.

The committee said 7,632 dengue cases had been confirmed in Omdurman, with another 4,088 suspected cases.

This figure is far higher than the national toll of 2,024 cases and nine deaths reported by Sudan’s health ministry on Tuesday.

Adiba Ibrahim Al-Sayed, a committee member, told Sudan Tribune that malaria and other unidentified fevers also spread in Omdurman, where laboratories are lacking and medical technicians have fled.

A bacterial skin rash is also spreading, causing severe wounds and inflammation, she said.

Al-Sayed said cholera deaths were increasing due to a shortage of intravenous fluids.

The committee urged international organizations to provide medical aid and called on warring factions to allow humanitarian access and release detained doctors.