Editorial – “Together We Build Our Health”: Paving Way Forward Through Analyzing the Context and Ensuring Wide Participation in the First and Second Health Forums in Sudan

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COVID-19 in Sudan: Will the mitigation Efforts win against the Virus?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard both the affluent and poor countries. The objective of this article is to highlight the efforts of the Ministry of Health in Sudan in mitigating the pandemic and reflecting on counteracting factors. Methods: We traced the reports and plans of the Federal Ministry of Health and looked at the models projecting the pandemic in Sudan. Results: The fundamental plan of the government of Sudan to cope up with the pandemic included the control of the source of infection, blocking transmission, and preventing the spread. The response mechanism had a multi-sector approach with involvement of government, civil society organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The action plans involved protocols for COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, surveillance, epidemiological investigation, and management of case contacts. However, several factors continued to jeopardize the mitigation efforts of these plans. At the time of writing this article (at the end of the May 2020), there were about 4,000 confirmed cases, 300 recoveries, and 170 deaths. Although these numbers are below the projected numbers in many proposed models, in the light of the limited testing capacity, case identification and contact tracing, the exact situation might not be ascertained. Conclusion: Sudan has prepared a national plan to prevent and contain COVID19 pandemic. However, tremendous challenges are opposing these efforts. The poor health infrastructure, fragility of the health system, and the economic crisis are the major obstructions

Risk Factors Associated with the Development of Tuberculosis Among HIV-Infected Patients in Khartoum in 2010

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) screening among patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the approaches for controlling TB-HIV co-infection. The absence of typical TB symptoms among HIV-infected patients makes diagnosis challenging. Identifying predisposing risk factors of TB among HIV-infected patients could possibly guide TB diagnosis and treatment. This study was designed to identify some important factors associated with TB among HIV-infected patients and to quantify the strength of this association.Methodology: In 2010, a case control study was conducted in Khartoum State, Sudan. Cases and controls were selected by simple random sampling with a 1:2 ratio; 97 cases and 194 controls were enrolled in the study. A logistic regression model was built to estimate and quantify the strength of the association between the study variables and the outcome; a p-value less than 0.05 was considered the cut-off point for a significant statistical association.Results: Past history of TB, CD4 count < 200 cells/µl, late clinical stages, non-employment, and no formal education were found to be risk factors for developing TB among HIV-infected patients. The adjusted ORs and 95% CIs were (6.9: 3.75-12.99), (4.8: 1.57-15.26), (5.8: 1.88-17.96), (2.5: 1.26-5.03), and (2.5: 1.28-4.63), respectively. Poor adherence, marital status, age, and gender are not associated with developing TB among HIV patients.Conclusion: HIV patients who have at least one of the risk factors found in this analysis are at higher risk of TB; therefore, they should be screened more frequently and treated promptly, especially HIV patients with previous TB

Comparing the participation of men and women in academic medicine in medical colleges in Sudan: A cross-sectional survey

INTRODUCTION: In different countries around the world, the involvement of women in academic medicine was less in comparison with men. This study aimed to assess whether there were significant gender differences in research perception, practice, and publication in Sudan. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study was carried out using questionnaire among 153 teaching staff of five Sudanese medical faculties from both genders, including teaching assistants, lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among participants' gender regarding their universities, qualifications, research training received after graduation, and participation in research currently or in the past or current position, but female participants seem to be younger as their mean of age was 38.8 (±9.2) compared with 42.6 (±10.1) for males. Importantly, the males' researcher has not only published significantly more than females but also appeared to have significantly more years of research experience. The mean score of research perception was higher among male participants who indicated that they had a more favorable perception of research. CONCLUSION: The study showed that in Sudanese medical colleges significantly higher percentage of men published scientific papers more than women. In addition, the male also had a significantly higher mean score of research perception which indicated that they had a more favorable perception of research

An outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis among a displaced population in North Sudan: Review of cases

Background: Human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in many parts of Sudan. Objective: To document an outbreak of CL among internally displaced people (IDP) in north Sudan. Methods: A household survey was conducted in the rural region of New Manasir, at El Damer Locality in north Sudan during the year 2013. All villagers were screened for recent and old skin lesions in addition to other urgent medical problems. Written consent was obtained from each participant before data collection. A pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants. The diagnosis of CL was based on clinical findings and/or identification of the amastigotes on skin smears. Results: Out of the 1,236 individuals enrolled in this survey, 688 were diagnosed as cases of CL, giving an infection rate of 55.7%. Children constituted 244 (35.5%) of infected cases. Majority of skin lesions were found in the Extremities 524 (76.2%). The average duration of skin lesions was 3.6 months (±1.6). Conclusion: This outbreak among IDPs affected a large proportion of inhabitants of the newly established villages in north Sudan. Preventive measures might have help control such outbreaks

Metabolic control targets in Sudanese adults with type 1 diabetes: A population-based study

Background: Type 1 diabetes is a challenging metabolic disorder for health authorities in Sudan. The objective of this study was to assess the level of glycemic control and to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and complications among individuals with type 1 diabetes in Sudan. Materials and Methods: Individuals with type 1 diabetes, who were having the disease for at least 1 year, were invited to participate in this study. Data were collected from two diabetes centers, in the Capital Khartoum and Atbara City, North of Sudan. Participants were interviewed using standardized pretested questionnaire to record medical history, sociodemographic data, and life style characteristics. Blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference were measured. Blood samples were taken for measurement of lipid profile and glycosylated hemoglobin. Results: A total of eighty individuals with type 1 diabetes volunteered to participate in this study, 37.5% of males and 62.5% of females. Majority of the patients were aged between 40 and 70 years old. There was poor glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin> 7%), in 83.8%. Age and sex were significant factors associated with poor glycemic control in this cohort. High cholesterol, triglyceride, and low density lipoprotein were seen in 76.2%, 27.5%, and 48.8% of participants, respectively. Low high density lipoprotein was seen in 33.8%. Hypertension was determined in 21.3%. Peripheral neuropathy, visual impairment, diabetic foot, and myocardial infarction were seen in 50%, 48.8%, 18.8%, and 2.5% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Sudanese adults with type 1 diabetes have poor glycemic control, high prevalence of dyslipidemia, and long-term complications

Prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among children under 5-year-old in rural areas: A cross-sectional survey in North Sudan

Background: Child malnutrition is a major public health problem in developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition among children <5 years in River Nile state (RNS) in North Sudan. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional household survey was done in four localities in RNS. Using Multistage Cluster sampling, 1635 under 5 years' children had participated. Pretested questionnaire and anthropometric measures were used during data collection. The analysis was done using SPSS software program version 21 and World Health Organization (WHO) Anthro 2005 software. Indices were reported in z-scores and compared with the WHO 2005 reference population to determine the nutritional status of children. Results: Among 1,447 surveyed children, the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting were 42.5%, 32.7%, and 21%, respectively. Stunting was highest among the 48–60 months of age group (82.5%). Boys had poorer indicators of undernutrition in comparison to girls. Geographically stunting was more prevalent in Berber locality. Infectious diseases (gastroenteritis and respiratory symptoms) and incomplete vaccination were significantly associated with wasting (P = 0.007, P = 0.013, and P = 0.008). Poor socioeconomic status (P = 0.043), poorer household sanitation (P = 0.022), large family size, lack of family spacing, and infants weaned suddenly were regarded as risk factors for undernutrition. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of undernutrition in the 4th and 5th year of life in RNS population, with significant gender imbalance. Our survey highlighted the importance of urgent need to improve child health in this region