Hamid* (12) has received psychosocial support from a Save the Children clinic in Al Gezira State, Sudan

Hamid*, 12, is from Khartoum in Sudan and has eight brothers and sisters. Before violent conflict forced Hamid and his family to flee their home, he used to play billiards and his PlayStation with his friends. He was in grade 4 and enjoyed learning Arabic and playing football and volleyball at school. Hamid says life at the site where they live now with other displaced families is hard. It’s challenging to find jobs, and his mother works from dawn until dusk to try and provide for her family. Hamid has also struggled to cope with losing friends and family in the conflict and has suffered from mental health issues. Since the outbreak of fighting in Sudan in April 2023, many children have witnessed things no child should ever see, lost or become separated from loved ones and have been forced to flee their homes. More than 6.7 million people have been newly displaced , often living in dire conditions at their arrival points. It is estimated that more than 12,000 people have been killed as a direct impact of violence. Thousands more have died due to a lack of healthcare and basic supplies. Half of the population, nearly 25 million people, require humanitarian aid, including 13 million children. Save the Children’s support: Save the Children has deployed its Emergency Health Unit to support mobile health teams in White Nile and Al Gezira States to provide essential healthcare services for host communities and displaced children and adults. Services include treatment for diseases, vaccinations, maternal and child healthcare, the management of malnutrition cases and psychosocial support. Hamid has received ongoing psychosocial support from a psychotherapist at a Save the Children mobile clinic who has helped him to start to process what he has witnessed and how his life has changed. Hamid and his family also attend the clinic to receive treatment for other health issues. Mosaab Hassouna / Save the Children

Women in Health: From being displaced to running a health centre in Sudan

5 min read

9 Apr 2024 Sudan

Save the Children is providing healthcare support to children and families in Sudan thanks to the work of brave local healthcare workers.

Hamid* (12) has received psychosocial support from a Save the Children clinic in Al Gezira State, Sudan. Mosaab Hassouna / Save the Children

The war in Sudan has caused 70-80% of hospitals to close down. And those that are still open are on their knees due to overwhelming needs and a lack of medical supplies and personnel.

Despite the challenges, in Sudan and surrounding areas, our teams are working tirelessly to support the lives of children and their families. We are proud to introduce the fourteen dedicated female staff who come from the displaced and host communities and are working in Save the Children supported health facility.

We stand side by side with children in the world's toughest places.

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Recently, their exemplary work garnered admiration from the UN humanitarian coordinator, highlighting their critical role in delivering life-saving healthcare services.

Meet the remarkable Sudanese women at the forefront of Save the Children’s operations in the River Nile State, Sudan.

Buthina Omer

Buthina is from the host community and brings 16 years of experience as a vaccinator, serving with a mobile team and the expanded program on immunization at the Ministry of Health in River Nile State.

Her primary responsibility is to administer routine vaccinations to children under one year old, ensuring they are protected against childhood illnesses.

Hanadi Hassab Algabo

Hanadi is a graduate from college of Medicine & surgery. She began her journey as a house-officer at a teaching hospital, accumulating one year of experience before joining Save the Children in October 2023.

She provides outpatient consultations, checks vital signs, prescribes medication for patients treatment, and refers critical cases to Aldamer Hospital.

Intisar Suliman Abd Al Bagi

Intisar has 14 years of experience as a pharmacist in the private sector, and in 2020, she commenced her journey with the State Ministry of Health in Khartoum.

Her responsibilities include dispensing the correct medication to patients as per doctor's prescriptions and maintaining pharmacy records.

Khalida Sief Aldein

Khalida attending a child at the health centre

Khalida Sief Aldein has 20 years of experience as a lab technician, having served at Bahri Hospital and Shendi Hospital.

Her primary responsibilities include collecting samples for laboratory testing and conducting microscopy examinations.

Nadia Omer

Nadia graduated from secondary school and completed a diploma in nursing at Health Academy, River Nile State Ministry of Health.

She brings two years of valuable experience as a volunteer with the mobile team of the expanded programme on immunization at the Ministry of Health in Khartoum State.

Najat Karar

Najat in the hallway of the health centre

Najat is responsible for daily cleaning of the health center.

Nusiba Mohammed Suliman

Nusiba is a graduate from the College of Nurse Science, Shendi University (2008).

She brings 14 years of nursing experience from various private sector hospitals. In October 2023, she joined Save the Children as a Government seconded staff at an Area 6 health facility.

Her responsibilities include supervising short stays, administering intravenous infusions, providing care for wounded patients, and conducting dressing procedures.

Rehab Omer

Rehab received basic training on infant and young child feeding with Save the Children. In February 2023, she joined Save the Children as a nutrition volunteer at Area 6 Health Facility.

Her duties include MUAC screening and providing nutrition counseling.

Rofida Hussien

Rofida is a final year student at the Faculty of Medicine, AL Riyadh International University

Her primary responsibilities include assisting the pharmacist in dispensing the correct medication according to doctor's prescriptions and aiding in the preparation of pharmacy reports.

Shama Ahmed Omer

Shama in her office at the health centre

Shama is a graduate from College of Bio-statistics & Economic Science

She has two years of experience in data entry and analysis at Omdurman Hospital of Obstetrics and Midwifery. Her duties include registering patients and conducting triage screening.

Shima Ali

Shima is a graduate from College of Medicine & Surgery, MD, with a focus on Family Medicine and a Master of Public Health.

She brings seven years of experience as a family medicine physician. Her duties include providing outpatient consultations for complex cases and prescribing medication for patient treatment.

Soheir Musa

Soheir is a graduate from College of Science, Chemistry - Sudan University of Technology

She has ten years of experience in laboratory work, having previously worked at the Lab Tech Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum in 2014.

Her duties include conducting sample preparation and ensuring biosafety disposal of biological hazards.

Om Elhassan Nouman Ali

Om graduated from School of Midwifery in 2017

She has seven years of experience as a trained midwife, serving in various villages of the River Nile State.

Her duties include assisting women during childbirth (delivery) and providing a comprehensive safe motherhood programme package to pregnant women.

Wigdan Mohamed Mustafa

Wigdan at her office in the health centre

Wigdan received basic training on community management of acute malnutrition and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) with Save the Children International.

In October 2023, she joined Save the Children as a government Seconded Nutrition staff at Area 6 Health Facility. Her duties include conducting anthropometric measurements to determine the degree of malnutrition and providing food rations.