Ministry of Health: Rising Mental Health Cases in Sudan Amid the War
The Federal Ministry of Health has revealed a significant increase in mental health disorders in Sudan, affirming that the deterioration of conditions during the war has doubled the need for urgent interventions and prompted the launch of a federal plan to rehabilitate psychiatric hospitals and addiction-treatment centers.
This came during a meeting held yesterday, Tuesday, at the office of the Minister of Health in Port Sudan, attended by Consultant Psychiatrist and official in charge of the Drug Prevention and Addiction Treatment portfolio, Dr. Yas Abbas Wadaa, along with a number of ministry officials.
Minister of Health Professor Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim stated that mental disorders are rising globally, but the situation in Sudan is far more complex due to the war and the violations inflicted on civilians. He explained that the ministry is working to raise awareness and provide services that support early detection and improve access to treatment. He urged the adoption of a comprehensive vision for mental health and the allocation of budgets that ensure the development of this field within the health system.
The Minister noted that the war has made psychological-support services more urgent, particularly among victims of attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He stressed the need to integrate such services into primary healthcare and to train personnel to compensate for the severe shortage of psychiatrists, whose number does not exceed 22 nationwide.
He explained that a field survey conducted by the Advisory Committee for Psychiatry across six states — Khartoum, River Nile, Al-Gezira, Al-Gadarif, Kassala, and Port Sudan — revealed critical conditions affecting psychiatric hospitals and centres. These findings prompted the adoption of recommendations to rehabilitate psychiatric departments and hospitals. He also pointed out that the Red Sea Psychiatric Hospital is the only facility still providing services with federal support.
The Minister further announced a plan to reactivate closed centres, foremost among them Tigani El-Mahi Hospital, in addition to providing five electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) machines to Tigani El-Mahi Hospital and the hospitals in Al-Gadarif, Madani, and Port Sudan, with the aim of improving treatment quality.
On the issue of addiction, the Minister underscored the gravity of the current situation, noting that the meeting reviewed a detailed report on the escalating addiction cases. He directed work through the Higher Committee and coordination with relevant bodies, along with the preparation of regulations to govern the functioning of addiction-treatment centres in both the public and private sectors.
Mental healthcare in Sudan has witnessed severe deterioration in recent years, particularly after the outbreak of the war, which caused mass displacement, the collapse of essential services, and exposed millions of civilians to the trauma of catastrophic humanitarian conditions.