Feature: Measles outbreak deepens plight of displaced children in Sudan's Darfur
A measles outbreak is spreading among displaced children in Sudan's Darfur region, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict and the collapse of local healthcare services. Vaccination campaigns have been suspended, leaving thousands of children vulnerable to the preventable disease.
Why it matters
The situation highlights the devastating secondary health impacts of civil war on vulnerable populations and the breakdown of public health infrastructure.
KHARTOUM, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Sitting quietly in a corner of Golo Hospital in Sudan's Central Darfur State, Fatima Ishaq keeps her eyes fixed on her nine-year-old son, who lies on a simple bed. A rash covers much of his body, and a high fever has persisted for days since he contracted measles.
Holding his hand, she gently wipes his forehead with a damp cloth, powerless against an illness that struck a week earlier in a region already grappling with severe shortages of healthcare services.
The boy is among dozens of recent measles cases reported across parts of Darfur, where concern is growing over the spread of the highly contagious disease among children as the ongoing conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces weakens healthcare services and disrupts immunization campaigns.
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