Mayo, Sudan | He arrived unconscious in his father’s arms
In Mayo, an area on the outskirts of Khartoum where thousands of displaced people struggle to survive every day, malaria continues to hit the most vulnerable hardest. In just one month, 300 out of every 1,000 patients were diagnosed with severe malaria.
This form of the disease can quickly lead to death: kidney failure, convulsions, breathing difficulties, coma. Children are arriving in critical condition, often after days of untreated illness or treatment that came too late.
Amid the widespread instability and destruction caused by war and extreme poverty, health is not always the priority: families must choose between seeking treatment or finding food and shelter. The few healthcare facilities are overcrowded, damaged or no longer functioning.
At EMERGENCY’s Paediatric Centre in Mayo, we provide care for children under 14 every day. Here, even in the most serious cases, it is possible to intervene quickly: a prompt diagnosis, immediate administration of life-saving malaria medications, transfer and admission to the Paediatric Clinic within our Salam Centre complex.
These actions can mean the difference between life and death for children like Omer, who arrived at our facility unconscious in his father’s arms.
The seven-year-old had been suffering from fever and nausea for four days. He had already been taken to another facility, where the family paid for a treatment that was not sufficient to stop the illness. His condition deteriorated rapidly: admitted to Bashair Hospital, the only functioning public facility, Omer fell into a coma after 24 hours.
With no means to pay for treatment and seeing no improvement, his father made a desperate decision: to leave the hospital and seek help elsewhere.
He arrived at our Mayo Paediatric Centre, carrying his son.
Omer immediately received the care he needed and was transferred to our Salam Centre complex to continue his treatment.
Today, Omer can walk and talk. He has the prospect of a full recovery ahead of him. But not all children have the same chance.
Omer’s story is one of survival, but also an urgent reminder: without free and timely access to care, many lives are lost.
Our presence in Mayo remains essential. So that every child has a chance. So that no one has to choose between treatment and survival. So that, even in the most difficult circumstances, healthcare remains a right and not a privilege.
Story recounted by Laura Ena, EMERGENCY’s paediatric nurse coordinator in Khartoum