Khartoum: The blindness crisis in Sudan has intensified as the ongoing conflict has devastated medical facilities and halted essential treatment campaigns. Local medical institutions warn that the rate of blindness has escalated from 10 to 30 percent in a short period due to the war's impact on the country's health infrastructure.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Dr. Atef Omar, Director of the National Program for Ophthalmology at the Sudanese Ministry of Health, highlighted the dire situation. Despite the lack of precise statistics, field estimates indicate a significant increase in blindness rates. Dr. Omar emphasized that the ophthalmology infrastructure is still capable of recovery if adequate support is provided. In response to the crisis, the ministry launched an emergency plan at the conflict's onset to secure essential resources and is seeking cooperation with private institutions.
Dr. Amir Abu Qurun, Director of Makkah Hospital in Omdurman and representative of Al-Basar Charity Foundation in Khartoum, confirmed that field data show blindness rates have tripled to 30 percent over two years due to halted services, displacement, migration of medical staff, and shortages of medical supplies. Similarly, Dr. Mohammad Hajo, Director of Programs and Partnerships at Kuwait Patients' Helping Fund Society, noted that the rise in blindness is attributed to the suspension of preventive care, halted cataract surgeries, and shortages of essential medicines. He stressed that these figures represent thousands who could have been saved from blindness with available resources.
Cataracts remain the most common cause of treatable blindness in Sudan, accounting for approximately 70 percent of cases. Despite being surgically curable, the lack of resources and infrastructure has hindered treatment. Trachoma, an infection linked to poverty and poor hygiene, also remains a contributing factor, while glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, exacerbated by the lack of early detection and public awareness.
Even before the war, Sudan's vision loss indicators were alarming. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness' "Vision Atlas" estimated in 2020 that about three million Sudanese suffered from visual impairment, including 210,000 who were completely blind, placing Sudan among Africa's highest in blindness rates. These figures highlight the stark disparity between Sudan's situation and global blindness reduction efforts, with the World Health Organization (WHO) noting that 90 percent of visually impaired people live in low and middle-income countries.
Sudan's health system previously relied heavily on external support, with NGOs performing 56 percent of cataract surgeries before the war. Abu Qurun noted that the Makkah Eye Foundation, since its establishment in 1993, has served over 1.8 million patients, accounting for about 65 percent of national anti-blindness efforts. Despite the conflict, efforts to restore services are ongoing, with Omdurman Hospital partially reopening in September 2024, providing services to 89,000 patients.
According to the WHO, over 70 percent of hospitals in Sudan have been disrupted, and about 45 percent of primary healthcare centers have halted operations, leading to a near paralysis of medical services nationwide. Dr. Hajo emphasized the importance of early detection and field awareness to contain cataract and glaucoma, calling for urgent support in medicines, rehabilitation, training, and community outreach.
Abu Qurun stressed the necessity of international, regional, and local support to preserve remaining blindness-prevention services, commending continued efforts by Kuwait's Direct Aid Society and Saudi Arabia's King Salman Relief Center. Humanitarian experts warn that Sudan's vision-loss crisis has evolved from a health issue into a developmental challenge, exacerbating poverty, isolation, and livelihoods. Expert Madani Abbas noted that blindness is now a developmental crisis affecting society's stability, calling for urgent intervention to prevent an entire generation from being lost to preventable diseases.