Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Sudan + 1 more

Sudan / Gedaref: Kala-Azar cases increase - DREF Operation Final Report, n° MDRSD031

Attachments

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

On the 12 of February 2022, Gedaref State Ministry of Health (SMoH) released a press statement indicating a spike in the case of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). The report showed that there was 46% (2002) and 8% (34) cases and mortality increase in 2021 when compared to 2020. The month of January 2022 had registered unusually high cases and death compared to the previous 3 years at the same period. Sudan Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) epidemiological 2022 surveillance data indicates that 80% of the burden of Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) also known as Kala-azar in the country originate from Gedaref state. The state has an estimated population of 2 million and contributes more than 3,000 cases annually to the 500,000 country’s burden of VL. The 245 endemic villages are in the localities of Quraysha, Eastern Al-Qalabat, Al-Fasha, Basunda, Western Al-Qalabat, Almafaza and more recently, Alnahal has started to report cases.

VL is commonly classified as a neglected tropical disease with a public health challenge in the country and in danger of being deprioritized. Sudan falls within the Eastern Africa countries of Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan that contribute 57% of the WHO estimated global new cases between 50,000 to 90,000 annually (Makau-Barasa et al 2022). The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) provided means that supported in-depth assessment and selected community-based actions to contribute to awareness and health promotion alongside the State Ministry of Health (SMoH). The outcomes of this DREF operation and the assessment information details in this final report and the update 1 aimed to inform humanitarian response in Gederef state for VL disease.