Sudan is an East African country that has been embroiled in civil wars for several decades, leading to its split with South Sudan in 2011. The long period of instability in the country has contributed to conditions that encourage the spread of communicable diseases, which are some of the most common diseases in Sudan.
Most Common Diseases in Sudan
- Yellow Fever – Yellow fever is a common virus found in tropical areas of South America and Africa. Transmitted to an individual through the bite of an infected mosquito, yellow fever ranks as one of the most common diseases in Sudan. Symptoms include influenza-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, severe headache, back pain, general body aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Severe cases can lead to internal bleeding and failure of major organs. Sudan is listed as one of the thirty countries in Africa with a high risk of yellow fever.
- Rift Valley Fever – From 2007 to 2010, a major outbreak of Rift Valley fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, was recorded in Sudan. Standing water from unusual flooding allowed for infected mosquito eggs to lie dormant. Infected mosquitos also feed on livestock, which can pass the disease to humans through infected blood and meat. The Rift Valley fever outbreak devastated Sudanese agricultural communities, leading to an almost 100 percent mortality rate among young animals and high pregnancy failures among child-bearing livestock. According to the CDC, nearly 75,000 people were infected with the disease over the course of three years. Symptoms include fever and liver irregularities, but severe cases can cause hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis or ocular disease.
- Guinea Worm Disease – One of the most geographically specific and common diseases in Sudan is Guinea worm disease. The infection, caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis, the Guinea worm, is spread by drinking water containing worm larvae. Guinea worm disease highly affects poor communities in Sudan that have little access to clean drinking water. Once ingested, over the course of a year, larvae grow into full-size adults within a human’s digestive tract. Within 24 to 72 hours after reaching full-size, the infected person develops blisters on their hands or feet, out of which the worm eventually emerges. Based on research by the CDC, there is applicable treatment of Guinea worm disease and no vaccine for prevention.
- Meningococcal Meningitis – Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial disease that causes an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It is a respiratory disease transmitted from person to person by close and prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions. Sudan lies in the region of sub-Saharan Africa referred to as the “Meningitis Belt,” where the highest rate of meningococcal meningitis occurs throughout the continent. Symptoms can include a stiff neck, high fever, headaches and vomiting. The CIA World Factbook listed Sudan as a country at very high risk of infection.
- Malaria – Transmitted to humans through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, malaria ranks as one of the most common diseases in Sudan. With cases recorded in all regions of Sudan, the risk of contracting the disease is extremely high. According to the CDC, symptoms of malaria include fever, chills and flu-like illness. Severe cases can end in death. In 2015, a confirmed 586,827 cases of the disease were treated. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, including unreported cases, there were 1,400,000 total. Estimated deaths total around 3,500.
- HIV/AIDS – Based on research conducted by the CDC, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) affect an estimated 35 million people worldwide, with more than two-thirds of those living in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, 25 percent of adults in Sudan were living with HIV/AIDS, according to the CIA World Factbook. HIV/AIDS is most often spread through unprotected intercourse but can be contracted by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person. Symptoms are often flu-like and can progress to severe cases that can be fatal. HIV/AIDS ranks as an extremely common disease in Sudan today.
Despite the country’s high risk of contracting an infectious disease, work is being done to combat issues related to health and sanitation. The World Health Organization, in coordination with the Sudanese Ministry of Health, is taking action, such as expanding cholera emergency responses to lower future risk and training health workers in disease detection.
– Riley Bunch
Photo: Flickr
Since the conclusion of the Iraq War, the relationship between border countries Iran and Iraq shifted into a new era of close diplomatic and economic relations. In a recent press release, Iran agreed to construct Iraq’s 
The people of Pakistan have, among other issues, suffered from a prolonged military rule and lack of democratization. The military’s historical focus on India as Pakistan’s arch-rival has diverted most of the country’s national expenditures toward defense, leaving behind education and economic development for decades. The military has ruled over the country for more than 33 years, which makes almost half of its lifespan.
Moreover, over the years, the military empowered religion as the guiding pillar of national unity. This has undermined secular ideals and the sociocultural diversity of Pakistani society. The same institutions also created religious proxies to counter the legitimate, but exaggerated, Indian threat to Pakistan. The history of using such proxies dates back to the conflict against the present day Bangladesh in 1971 and the Russian-Afghan War in the 1980s.
One way the U.S. can help people in Pakistan is to support democratization and development, because they are essential to improve the lives of people in the long run. While the U.S. has given economic aid for such development, however, historically it has put its weight behind generals in power by giving more military than economic aid to Pakistan.
The U.S. has, since 1982, provided $17 billion in military assistance compared to $13.5 billion in economic assistance mostly during military operations in Afghanistan that started in the late 1970s. Some analysts believe that such support to military rulers has derailed democracy and hindered development in Pakistan.
While Pakistan has, since 2008, entered into a new democratic phase of its history after the 1990s, the military still controls important policy domains such as national security and foreign policy. One reason could be the increased military assistance in the 2000s.
The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 aka the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act was a welcome step and a major shift in U.S. foreign aid to help people in Pakistan. The Act authorized $7.5 billion in non-military aid over five years for “democratic governance, economic freedom, investments in people, particularly women and children, and development in regions affected by conflict and displacement.” Nevertheless, it is still small compared to the overall direct assistance to the military.
There is a need for more civilian assistance in the future. The U.S. needs to further increase educational aid because Pakistanis highly value education, but unfortunately, there are meager learning opportunities in the country, especially among poor communities in rural areas. The good news is that Pakistan is among the highest recipients of educational exchange programs like the Fulbright program, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program, etc. Maintaining and possibly increasing such opportunities will further help the people of Pakistan and strengthen the long-term engagement between the two countries.