Trachoma cases in eastern and central Sudan, measles outbreak in Darfur

Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health says that Red Sea, El Gedaref, and White Nile states are still recording cases of active trachoma. Health Minister Dr Haitham Ibrahim witnessed the convening of the high-level meeting yesterday in Port Sudan, on the programme to eliminate trachoma in Sudan, with the participation of health ministers from the states of the Red Sea, El Gedaref, and White Nile, which are the states that are still recording active cases of the disease, and have control programs in cooperation with the Carter Center.

Also present at the meeting were Dr Sara Lavinia, Director of the Carter Center’s Sudan office, Dr Angela Sander, Program Director at the Center, and Dr Razan, Director of Neglected Diseases at the Federal Ministry of Health.

The attendees discussed the efforts made within a national plan aimed at eliminating the disease completely by 2030, using all interventions, represented in surveys, health education for personal hygiene, use of preventive medicines, and surgical camps for advanced cases before the stage of blindness, within the framework of cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Health and international partners.

He stressed the importance of strengthening control programs and intensifying field work in the affected states, in order to ensure the achievement of the national goal of eliminating trachoma in the coming years, which has been delayed due to the war, as the previous plan targeted the year 2025.

Measles outbreak in Darfur

Medical sources warn of a widespread outbreak of measles in areas of North and East Darfur. The Darfur Victims Advocacy Organisation cautions of the spread of measles in three areas in East Darfur, namely Bahr El Arab, Shariya, and Ed Daein, since the beginning of March 2026, in addition to Umm Katkout and Korma in North Darfur’s El Fasher.

The organisation issued an urgent humanitarian appeal to all local, regional, and international organisations for immediate intervention, and called for a state of emergency to be declared in the Darfur region to protect the lives of children, noting that the number of injuries had exceeded 90 cases, and that there were deaths.