Sudan

Sudan is located in northeastern Africa with a coastline on the Red Sea. It is the largest state in Africa by territory, sharing borders with nine other countries, and it is the tenth largest country in the world. The region has suffered through two long periods of civil war since the 1970s. There has been an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the western region of Darfur, with the United Nations estimating that 400,000 Darfuri may have already died in raids by local militia since 2003. Millions have been displaced to nearby Chad.

The population of Sudan is 39,379,000 and growing at 2.08 percent annually. The birth rate is 34.86 per [Page 1625]1,000 and the death rate is 14.39 per 1,000. Median age is 18.7 years. Life expectancy is 48.24 years for males and 50.03 years for females. Gross national income is $640, with about 40 percent of the population living below $1 day. Eighty percent of the population engages in agriculture.

Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Sudan, with around 40 percent of outpatient medical visits and 30 percent of inpatient hospital admission stemming from the virus. There were around 3 million known cases in 2004 alone. Regionally, there is a risk of dengue fever and African trypanosomaisis (or sleeping sickness), as well as schistosomiasis and meningococcal meningitis. Diarrhea is also prevalent, with less than 40 percent of the population of southern Sudan with clean water and waste disposal.

Displacement and drought has led to food insecurity across the region. In 2006, 2.5 million in Darfur and 3 million in the South needed supplemental food. The World Health Organization currently estimates that 22 percent of Sudanese children suffer from acute malnutrition. AIDS surveillance within Sudan is poor, and estimates of the HIV+ population vary. UNAIDS puts the prevalence rate at 1.9 percent of adults, but it may be significantly higher. The country does suffer from a high rate of tuberculosis, with an estimate of 379 infections per 100,000 and 63 deaths per 100,000. Sudan reports an 81 percent cure rate for TB.

This poor health profile, limited sanitation, and violence against groups like the Darfuri has had a serious impact on the health of women and children. Almost 90 percent of Sudanese women have undergone female genital mutilation. For refugee women, especially those in Darfur, the risk of rape and violence is omnipresent. Only 10 percent of women use contraception, 60 percent have prenatal care, and 87 percent have a trained birth attendant during delivery. The maternal mortality rate is 1,500 deaths per 100,000 live births. Child mortality is high, with 62 deaths per 1,000 in those younger than 1, and 90 deaths per 1,000 in those aged 1–5 years. Approximately 1.8 million children in Darfur have been displaced by violence; there are 1.7 million orphans spread across the country.

Medical care in Sudan is sharply divided between regions. In the North, there is a functioning medical system that most people can access when they are in need. In the South, only about 25 percent of the population can find care. International agencies have entered the Darfur region to give aid and care to refugees, but continuing violence by militia has made it difficult for these groups to operate.

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