RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 In transition: current health challenges and priorities in Sudan
JF BMJ Global Health
JO BMJ Global Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e001723
DO 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001723
VO 4
IS 4
A1 Esmita Charani
A1 Aubrey J Cunnington
A1 AlaEldin H A Yousif
A1 Mohammed Seed Ahmed
A1 Ammar E M Ahmed
A1 Souad Babiker
A1 Shahinaz Badri
A1 Wouter Buytaert
A1 Michael A Crawford
A1 Mustafa I Elbashir
A1 Kamal Elhag
A1 Kamal E Elsiddig
A1 Nadey Hakim
A1 Mark R Johnson
A1 Alexander D Miras
A1 Mohamed O Swar
A1 Michael R Templeton
A1 Simon David Taylor-Robinson
YR 2019
UL http://gh.bmj.com/content/4/4/e001723.abstract
AB A recent symposium and workshop in Khartoum, the capital of the Republic of Sudan, brought together broad expertise from three universities to address the current burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases facing the Sudanese healthcare system. These meetings identified common challenges that impact the burden of diseases in the country, most notably gaps in data and infrastructure which are essential to inform and deliver effective interventions. Non-communicable diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, renal disease and cancer are increasing dramatically, contributing to multimorbidity. At the same time, progress against communicable diseases has been slow, and the burden of chronic and endemic infections remains considerable, with parasitic diseases (such as malaria, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis) causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major threat throughout the healthcare system, with an emerging impact on maternal, neonatal and paediatric populations. Meanwhile, malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency and poor perinatal outcomes remain common and contribute to a lifelong burden of disease. These challenges echo the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and concentrating on them in a unified strategy will be necessary to address the national burden of disease. At a time when the country is going through societal and political transition, we draw focus on the country and the need for resolution of its healthcare needs.