Sudan had been ravaged by civil war for almost a quarter of a century. In 2005 a North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed and refugees have been returning to build a life in a country that has almost no infrastructure. WHO statistics for 2007 state 41% of children are underweight and 43% suffer from stunted growth. Only 24% of the population have sanitation facilities and about 74% have access to any drinking water. Often this means walking miles everyday to carry water that is not safe to drink.
During rainy season these puddles are a place to bath, wash clothes and obtain drinking water.
People are dying of treatable diseases at an alarming rate.
A simple case of diarrhea is a killer for malnurished, parasite infested children.
Diseases like malaria, dengue fever, typhoid and sleeping sickness are severe problems that could be treatable if there was any healthcare.
Most of these are preventable with simple measures and teaching. Having a simple mosquito net to sleep under could prevent a significant number of unnecessary deaths.
If you are one of the few (1 in 1200 ) to be able to afford a hospital bed you must have family to bring your food and provide for your care. Most people would have to walk for days to even get to a hospital.
The malaria rate is 40% and the availability of medication is almost zero. Only 1% of government expenditure is allocated to health.
Reports say there is only one physician to every 12,000-50,000 people, depending on the area.
One in five children do not live to their 5th birthday. Most of these children die of preventable diseases and malnutrition. Less than 20% of the children are fully immunized.
One of the staggering statistics is that it is more likely for a 15 year old girl to die in childbirth then to graduate the 8th grade. The illiteracy rate is 85%.
Wings of Healing
Amanda Samrani RN, BSN
PO Box 272
Wilbur, WA 99185
CornerStone International
PO Box 192
Wilmore,KY 40390
800-859-4578
Sonrise Foursquare Church
PO Box 61
Wilbur, WA USA 99185
509-647-2433