Sudanese conflict disrupts insulin supply, fueling illicit smuggling operations nationwide

Sudanese Patients Face Medication Shortages Amid Ongoing Conflict

A diabetic patient in Khartoum, Sudan, is struggling to access essential medication due to the ongoing conflict. Murtada Mohieddin has limited doses of insulin, which he must carefully inspect for expiration dates and potential damage from poor storage.

The civil war, which began as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, has severely impacted the country’s healthcare infrastructure. Hospitals, health centers, and pharmaceutical factories have been shut down, disrupting medical supply chains and storage across the country.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Sudan is facing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with 21 million people lacking basic healthcare services out of 34 million needing aid. The closure of pharmaceutical companies has led to a surge in smuggling networks, which are flooding the market with unregulated drugs locally known as “Boko” medicines.

These illicit medications often bypass strict temperature controls and quality checks during transit, resulting in spoilage that can render them ineffective or toxic to patients. Patients now face the double threat of exorbitant costs and life-threatening quality issues due to a lack of proper storage and refrigeration.

Pharmacists in Omdurman have reported that most malaria medicines are being smuggled into the country, posing a significant risk to patient health. The war has effectively dismantled local manufacturing, reversing years of medical self-reliance. According to the Health Resources and Services Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS) report, 40 percent of health facilities nationwide are entirely nonoperational.

The situation is particularly dire in active conflict zones such as Gezira, Khartoum, Darfur, and the Kordofan regions, where shortages are severe. The reliance on unregulated channels is putting lives at immediate risk due to the lack of proper storage and refrigeration.

Source: Al Jazeera