Africa CDC Mobilizes Emergency Response after Attack on Hospital in Sudan

ADDIS ABABA, Xinhua: The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced Saturday that it is mobilizing an emergency public-health response after an attack on a crucial medical facility in El Fasher, western Sudan.

In a statement, the Africa CDC said it is dispatching critical medical supplies after last week’s assault on the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher.

“The assault, which killed hundreds of patients and caregivers and led to the abduction of several health workers, has crippled one of the few remaining medical facilities in the region and raised grave concerns about the continuity of essential health services,” the Africa CDC said.

It warned that ongoing conflict, mass displacement, and restricted access to healthcare are worsening Sudan’s health crisis, as the country battles concurrent outbreaks of cholera, dengue fever, measles, and diphtheria.

The African Union’s specialized health agency said it has deployed emergency medical and laboratory experts to assess conditions on the ground and support outbreak control, sustain essential health services, and strengthen biosafety in affected areas.

Working in partnership with Sudan’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, the Africa CDC said it is verifying casualty figures, monitoring for potential disease outbreaks, and assessing the broader public health impact.

“This is not only a human tragedy but a public-health emergency,” the statement quoted Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, as saying. “Our immediate priority is to preserve life, prevent secondary outbreaks, and protect the health infrastructure that communities depend on. Health facilities and workers must never be targets of war.”

The agency urged all parties to the conflict to safeguard laboratories and biomedical facilities that store or handle dangerous pathogens, warning that any compromise could pose grave biosecurity and public health risks.

On Wednesday, Sudan’s government said more than 2,000 civilians had been killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since their entry into El Fasher.

Sudan remains gripped by a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, plunging the country deeper into a humanitarian crisis.