National Public Health Laboratory crisis

A crisis at the National Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum, Sudan, started when it was seized by armed forces during the Sudan conflict in April 2023. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on 25 April that the technicians had been expelled from the laboratory and were no longer able to access it, raising concerns over the containment of the biological hazards stored within.[1][2][3]

Background

A conflict in Sudan began on 15 April 2023 following clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. Fighting was reported across Sudan, including in the capital Khartoum where the National Public Health Laboratory, a public health laboratory, is located.[4][5][6][7]

Crisis

The laboratory was seized by armed forces during the Sudan conflict. Laboratory staff, whose roles included ensuring the ongoing containment of biological hazards, were expelled. The laboratory contains isolates of poliovirus, measles virus, and Vibrio cholerae; causative agents of the virulent diseases polio, measles, and cholera, respectively. The WHO's representative in Sudan, Dr Nima Saeed Abid, said that "There is a huge biological risk associated with the occupation of the central public health lab in Khartoum by one of the fighting parties."[8][9] The WHO also warned that power outages were risking the containment of biological material and the storage of blood products.[1] Shahinaz Bedri, the director of the laboratory, said "Several days ago, armed groups entered the lab, ordered our security staff who are trained to handle emergencies to leave. We are worried that there might be a bio-risk for them if they open fridges, because they go in and they sabotage."[10]

See also

References
  1. "Sudan crisis: WHO warns of biological hazard at seized lab". BBC News. 2023-04-25. Archived from the original on 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  2. "WHO Assessing Risk After Fighters Seize Sudan Lab". VOA. 26 April 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  3. "'High biohazard risk' as Sudan forces seize lab where pathogens stored". South China Morning Post. 2023-04-26. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  4. Salih, Zeinab Mohammed; Burke, Jason (2023-04-15). "At least 25 killed amid clashes between rival military factions in Sudan". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  5. Fulton, Adam; Holmes, Oliver (2023-04-25). "Sudan conflict: why is there fighting and what is at stake in the region?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  6. "What is happening in Sudan? The war explained". The Independent. 2023-04-26. Archived from the original on 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  7. Hatuqa, Elizabeth Melimopoulos,Dalia. "Sudan 'risks catastrophic conflagration': UN's Guterres". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. "Sudan fighting brings "huge biological risk" as lab holding samples of deadly diseases occupied, WHO warns". www.cbsnews.com. 25 April 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  9. Field, Matt (2023-04-25). "WHO: biological hazard brewing in Sudan as fighters overtake a central public health lab". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Archived from the original on 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  10. Naddaf, Miryam (2023-04-28). "'Armed groups entered the lab': Sudan's researchers flee violent military conflict". Nature. 617 (7960): 231–232. Bibcode:2023Natur.617..231N. doi:10.1038/d41586-023-01478-z. PMID 37138061. S2CID 258485562. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
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