clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Sudan: 160,000 people diagnosed with cancer in 2016

February 6, 2017 at 2:57 pm

Image of Al Baraha Hospital in Sudan [ASIM/Wikipedia]

Sudan cannot maintain a $3 million device used to diagnose cancer patients because of the two-decades long sanctions imposed on the country, the Minister of Health Bahr Idriss Abu Garda revealed yesterday.

More than 160,000 people in Sudan were diagnosed with cancer in 2016, he added. “The recent lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Sudan will allow the purchase of latest equipment and technology from the United States and European countries to combat the disease.”

The United States announced on 13 January the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Sudan 20 years ago, including the freezing of assets in response to Khartoum’s cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups.

The minister pointed out that “the state is ready to provide free treatment for cancer due to its high cost in accordance with the directives of President Omar Al-Bashir in the past period.”

Read: Britain pledges help to Sudan over foreign debt

Abu Garda explained that his ministry was “seeking to create specialised centres for the early detection of cancer and the training of national cadres in line with the state efforts to develop and build the capacity of Sudanese staff.”

Assistant Director General of Thora Hospital which is specialized in treating cancer in Khartoum, Al- Tayyib Waki Allah said the hospital receives 1,000 cases per month, and there are three Swedish devices for the diagnosis of cancer which will be in service next week.

He explained that the hospital has failed to provide health services in recent years due to the US sanctions imposed on Sudan, especially since all medical equipment is manufactured in the US or Europe.