El Geneina, October 19 (Darfur24)
More than 55 people have died from malaria in the past three weeks in West Darfur State, including 39 children and 16 adults, as rising infections overwhelm El Geneina Hospital, the hospital’s medical director said on Sunday.
Dr. Al-Shafi Saleh Younis told Darfur24 that the hospital was receiving more than 500 patients daily, with over 75 requiring admission.
He described the current malaria wave as the most severe the hospital had experienced, noting that the growing number of cases had placed significant pressure on its services.
Younis said the hospital administration had opened additional wards to accommodate the influx of patients. He added that medical staff and humanitarian partners were working to respond to the crisis despite challenges facing the health sector.
He called on international health organisations to intervene urgently to address shortages of medical supplies, particularly malaria drugs. He also stressed the need to deliver medicines to health centres in outlying areas to improve access to treatment and ease pressure on El Geneina Hospital.
Meanwhile, authorities have launched a three-day campaign to control disease-carrying insects across West Darfur, targeting displacement shelters in El Geneina and other areas.