12 March 2026, Port Sudan, Sudan – The World Health Organization (WHO) in Sudan partnered with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Fund to implement its second primary health care (PHC) support initiative to improve access to lifesaving health services for internally displaced persons, returnees, host communities and residents across 10 states of Sudan. The initiative, which was operational from June to December 2025, fully supported 60 PHC centres and reached more than 500 000 beneficiaries during the 6 months of implementation.
The 60 WHO-supported PHC centres provided free essential health care services to 570 299 beneficiaries, including 78 694 children under 5 years and more than 26 960 pregnant women. Over half the beneficiaries were women, and more than 10% were internally displaced people.
Dr Abrar Abdalla, pharmacist at Dongola Primary Health Care Centre, a WHO-supported facility in Northern State
“WHO’s support to primary health care centres is rooted in its commitment to make essential lifesaving primary health care accessible to everyone, everywhere in Sudan and to strive to achieve universal health coverage despite the prevailing challenges,” said WHO Representative to Sudan Dr Shible Sahbani.
WHO provides operational support to the facilities, including provision of essential medical supplies, and human resource support to ensure the continued availability and engagement of critical frontline workers through incentives and capacity-building. As part of this support, WHO has delivered around 55 metric tons of supplies, including essential medicines, diagnostic test kits and wound care materials.
Consultation at a WHO-supported primary health care centre
Patients queuing at a pharmacy in a WHO-supported primary health care centre
"WHO support is crucial for vulnerable groups, especially those with chronic illnesses. We have families where every member requires continuous treatment with expensive medicines like sodium valproate. Because of WHO support, they now receive this medication for free. This intervention is truly lifesaving," said Dr Abrar Abdalla, pharmacist at Dongola Primary Health Care Centre, a WHO-supported facility in Northern State.
Abd El Rahman Saeed, a patient at Dongola Primary Health Care Centre, thanked everyone involved in running the service, saying: “I am grateful for the free consultations and lab services I received. This facility is very important in Dongola as it provides services for a large portion of the population, helping meet people’s health needs.”
The conflict in Sudan, ongoing for close to 3 years, has led to mass displacement and severe limitations on access to health care, particularly for displaced communities. WHO supports PHC facilities to improve access to essential health care for internally displaced people as well as host communities.
WHO was able to support these 60 PHCs through the generous financial support of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through UKAID.
