Attacks on Health Care Facilities in Sudan: Depriving Women and Girls of Essential Health Services
Introduction
In Sudan, continued attacks on health care facilities, equipment, and workers are having a devastating impact on the health services available to women and girls. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, have warned about the dire consequences of these attacks. Pregnant women, in particular, are facing grave risks due to the closure of hospitals and a severe shortage of essential medical supplies.
This article delves into the alarming situation in Sudan, highlighting the impact on women and girls, the challenges faced by health workers, and the urgent need for action to secure essential health services. Additionally, it provides unique insights and perspectives on the topic, shedding light on related concepts and sharing practical examples that aim to capture readers’ attention and provide them with valuable information.
The Toll on Health Care Facilities
More than two-thirds of hospitals in fighting-affected areas in Sudan are closed, leaving millions of people, including 2.64 million women and girls of reproductive age, without access to critical health services. The closure of hospitals, including the largest referral hospital in Sudan, Omdurman Hospital, has had a significant impact on the delivery of reproductive health care.
Specifically, there are 262,880 pregnant women in urgent need of reproductive health services, and over 90,000 of them are expected to give birth in the next three months. Without access to proper medical care, the lives of these women and their newborns are at risk, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
In addition to the closure of hospitals, attacks on health care facilities and workers have further exacerbated the crisis. Since April, WHO has verified 46 attacks on health workers and facilities, resulting in the death of eight people and injuries to 18 others. Health facilities have been looted, and health workers have been subjected to violence.
Moreover, there are distressing reports of a military occupation of the National Medical Supplies Fund (NMSF) warehouses in Khartoum, which store essential medicines for the entire country. This occupation has impeded access to life-saving drugs and critical medical supplies, worsening the already dire situation. UNFPA’s stocks of medicines and equipment for obstetric care, post-rape treatment, and contraceptives are also inaccessible, further limiting the availability of essential reproductive health services.
Given the severity of the situation, health centers in several states, including Darfur, have issued warnings about critical shortages of medical supplies, posing a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of the population.
The Impact on Pregnant Women and Newborns
The lack of essential resources due to attacks on health care facilities is profoundly affecting pregnant women and newborns. Hospitals are facing fuel shortages to power generators, leading to power outages that jeopardize the availability of critical medical services.
In one heartbreaking example, six newborns died within a week at a hospital in the East Darfur town of Eld’aeen due to a lack of oxygen caused by power outages. Local doctors estimate that more than 30 newborns have died since the fighting began. These tragic deaths highlight the urgent need for fuel and supplies to ensure that key hospitals can maintain essential services and provide lifesaving care to pregnant women and newborns.
UNFPA and its local partner, CAFA Development Organization, have provided fuel to seven maternity hospitals in Khartoum, enabling over 1,000 safe births and cesarean sections in just one week. However, additional support is desperately required to ensure a steady supply of fuel and essential medical resources.
Compounding the challenges faced by pregnant women is the fact that approximately 15% of them experience complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, necessitating access to emergency obstetric and neonatal care. The current situation in Sudan puts these women at even greater risk, further underscoring the need for immediate action.
UNFPA’s and WHO’s Response
UNFPA, in collaboration with health centers and hospitals throughout Sudan, is playing a crucial role in providing sexual and reproductive health care, particularly for women and girls in need. UNFPA-trained midwives offer support to ensure safe childbirth at home and in functioning health facilities.
Sudan is home to approximately 27,000 midwives who attend to numerous births each day. These midwives are supported by UNFPA and play a pivotal role in providing essential reproductive health services. Additionally, UNFPA works to create safe spaces for women, offering prevention and response services for gender-based violence (GBV), including counseling, treatment, and case management for survivors of rape. Remote services are also provided to reach those who cannot access physical health centers.
On the other hand, WHO collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health and other partners to ensure the provision of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, and pediatric care. WHO supplies life-saving medicines and covers the operating costs of health centers providing these services. It also trains and supports health workers in frontline support, post-rape treatment, mental health care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and works with national NGOs to offer GBV services.
Nevertheless, the scale and complexity of the crisis demand greater attention and support to overcome the challenges and provide comprehensive health services to those in need.
The Urgency for Immediate Action
The situation in Sudan demands immediate action from all parties involved. Healthcare workers are putting their lives at risk to provide emergency, maternity, pediatric, and chronic disease treatment services. The commitments made in Jeddah in May to restore essential services and withdraw forces from hospitals and public facilities must be honored.
Ending the conflict is paramount to protect health facilities, health workers, and patients. There should be safe access for medical and humanitarian aid to reach those in need. Women’s right to reproductive health care should be defended and safeguarded, regardless of the presence of conflict.
Conclusion
The continued attacks on health care facilities in Sudan have profound consequences, particularly for women and girls in need of essential health services. The closure of hospitals, looting of medical supplies, and attacks on health workers pose grave risks to the lives and wellbeing of the Sudanese population.
Immediate action is required to restore and secure access to critical reproductive health services. Both WHO and UNFPA are working tirelessly to provide essential care, but greater support and resources are needed to alleviate the crisis. Ensuring the safety of health facilities, health workers, and patients must be a top priority, and medical and humanitarian aid should be allowed to reach those who desperately need it.
Together, we must advocate for an end to the conflict in Sudan, prioritize women’s reproductive health, and protect the lives of vulnerable populations who rely on essential health services.
Summary
The World Health Organization and UNFPA have warned about the severe impact of attacks on health care facilities in Sudan, which are depriving women and girls of essential health services. With the closure of hospitals and a severe shortage of medical supplies, pregnant women are particularly at risk. The situation is exacerbated by attacks on health workers and the occupation of essential medical supplies facilities. This has led to critical shortages of medical supplies and fueled a healthcare crisis in Sudan. Immediate action is required to restore access to health services and protect healthcare facilities and workers. UNFPA and WHO are working to provide essential care, but more support is needed to address the complex challenges faced in Sudan.
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The World Health Organization and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, warned today that continued attacks on health care facilities, equipment and workers in Sudan are depriving women and girls of health services they need. They save lives, with pregnant women being the most affected.
About 67% of hospitals in fighting-affected areas are closed and several maternity hospitals are out of service, including Omdurman Hospital, Sudan’s largest referral hospital. Among the 11 million people in Sudan in need of urgent healthcare are 2.64 million women and girls of reproductive age. Of them, 262,880 are pregnant and more than 90,000 will give birth in the next three months. They all need access to critical reproductive health services.
Since April, when the fighting began, WHO has verified 46 attacks on health workers and facilities, killing eight people and injuring 18 others. Health facilities and assets have also been looted and health workers have been subjected to violence. The armed forces are using several health centers.
There are reports of a military occupation of the National Medical Supplies Fund (NMSF) warehouses in the capital, Khartoum, where medicines for the entire country, including anti-malarial drugs, are stored and where the national pharmacy for chronic diseases is located. . WHO’s stock of emergency medical supplies and development products are stored in its warehouse. UNFPA stocks of medicines and equipment for obstetric care, post-rape treatment, as well as a wide range of contraceptives, which are stored in warehouses in Khartoum, South Darfur, West Darfur and elsewhere, are also inaccessible. Health centers in several states, including Darfur, have warned that they are facing critical shortages of medical supplies.
In a worrying development, hospitals are running out of fuel to power the generators that supply electricity. Six newborns died in a hospital in the East Darfur town of Eld’aeen in the space of a week due to problems including lack of oxygen amid power outages, and local doctors estimated that more than 30 newborns They have died in the hospital since the beginning. of the fighting. In May, UNFPA and its local partner, CAFA Development Organization, provided fuel to seven maternity hospitals in Khartoum to ensure health services were available for women and newborns. In just one week, more than 1,000 births and cesarean sections were safely performed. But more support is desperately needed to secure fuel and supplies so key hospitals can maintain essential services. About 15% of pregnant women experience complications related to pregnancy and childbirth and need access to emergency obstetric and neonatal care.
UNFPA provides sexual and reproductive health care through health centers and hospitals throughout Sudan. UNFPA-trained midwives continue to support women to give birth safely at home and in functioning health facilities. There are approximately 27,000 midwives working throughout Sudan; around 11:30 p.m. in the capital. Most of them attend between 3 and 4 births a day, according to the head of a network of midwives supported by UNFPA. UNFPA is also creating safe spaces for women to provide gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services, including treatment, counseling and case management after rape; as well as providing remote services. UNFPA also trains service providers and community protection networks in prevention and response to gender-based violence.
WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Health and other partners to ensure the provision of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal and pediatric care, as well as emergency obstetric and neonatal care in Khartoum and Gezira, and in states hosting internally displaced people. . WHO provides life-saving medicines and supplies and covers the operating costs of health centers that provide these services. WHO is also training health workers in frontline support, provision of post-rape treatment and mental health care to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and is supporting national NGOs providing GBV services. .
“Healthcare workers are putting their lives at risk to provide emergency, maternity, pediatric and chronic disease treatment services, and we support them,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We call on the warring parties to honor the commitments they made in Jeddah in May, including the restoration of essential services and the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and essential public facilities.”
“The conflict must end, health facilities, health workers and patients must be protected, and medical and humanitarian aid must be allowed to pass through,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem. “People who need urgent medical care should not be afraid to leave their homes for fear of their safety, and women’s right to reproductive health care should be defended, whether there is conflict or not,” she added.
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