Fellow Nurses Africa | 11 September 2025 | Lagos, Nigeria
Health officials in Kufra scramble to prepare isolation wards as deadly outbreak ravages neighboring Sudan
The desert city of Kufra is holding its breath. Libya’s southeastern gateway sits just miles from Sudan, where cholera has torn through all 18 states, claiming over 1,000 lives since January. Now, health officials here are racing against time to prevent the disease from crossing the border with the steady stream of Sudanese refugees.
“We haven’t seen any cases yet, but we’re not taking chances,” said Dr. Ismail al-Ayda, head of emergency services at Libya’s Health Ministry. His teams have been working around the clock to set up a 40-bed isolation ward and a 120-bed emergency shelter – a stark reminder of what could come.
The numbers from Sudan paint a grim picture. More than 48,000 cholera cases reported this year, with the highest concentration around Khartoum. The waterborne disease spreads fast in crowded, unsanitary conditions, exactly what aid workers describe in the refugee settlements outside Kufra.
Al-Ayda’s field teams are now moving through these camps daily, watching for the telltale signs: severe dehydration, violent stomach cramps, the rice-water diarrhea that can kill within hours if untreated. They’re stocking oral rehydration salts and IV fluids, hoping they won’t need them.
“Every day brings more people fleeing the war,” al-Ayda explained. “Our resources are stretched thin already.” The Ministry has put out calls to international organizations for additional medical staff, acknowledging this isn’t just Libya’s problem anymore.
The World Health Organization has been tracking cholera’s spread across the region with growing alarm. Sudan’s healthcare system, already crippled by civil war, has struggled to contain the outbreak that began in earnest earlier this year.
For the residents of Kufra, the waiting game continues. The city that once thrived as a trading post between Libya and Sudan now finds itself on the front lines of a public health emergency that recognizes no borders.
The isolation wards stand ready. The question is whether they’ll be enough.
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Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
