Topic: Controlling Biting-Insect Populations
Country: Sudan
Delegate Name: Catherine Stapleton
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Sudan position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
The African continent has been burdened with biting insect populations more than any other region in the world. In 2013, for example, 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in the World Health Organization’s African regions.
The most prevalent vector-borne illness in Sudan is malaria. Sudan has the highest malaria rate in the Eastern Africa/Mediterranean region. With the help of the World Health Organization, Sudan’s National Malaria Control Programme has been able to reduce the number of malaria related deaths to less than one million in 2010 (compared to four million in 2000). However, malaria still reaches epidemic size proportions every year in six of Sudan’s eighteen states because of the annual flooding of the Nile River. Because 69% of Sudanese people are employed in agricultural work, they are constantly in situations where they can contract this disease. Though Sudan recognizes that total prevention of this flooding is not possible, it believes construction projects in low-lying, flood-prone areas would reduce the breeding area for mosquitos and thus reduce the number of malaria cases in those regions as well. Sudan will continue to work with the World Health Organization in distributing the necessary supplies needed to combat malaria. WHO and the Sudanese government have already distributed free Artemisinin-based combination therapy treatments (which target the most deadly malarial parasites) to 89% of Sudan’s health facilities. Sudan will work to provide these free treatments for 100% of its health facilities in the future and will distribute mosquito nets and rapid diagnostic tests in villages that may not have access to larger medical facilities. Sudan will also continue to shift from symptom-based treatment to test-based treatment in an effort to proactively protect against this illness. Sudan encourages the UNDP to continue working with our country: almost 5 million cases of malaria have been treated since 2009 because of our cooperation with this organization.
Unlike malaria, which is more common in the rural areas, dengue fever is another widespread illness that is more prevalent in urban areas. Because Sudan’s urbanization rate is 2.54%, this means that dengue fever may become a greater problem in the future. Though there are no treatments currently available other than a forced incubation period to let the illness run its course, Sudan will try to prevent dengue fever from becoming more widespread by distributing mosquito nets and providing health clinics in major cities where people can stay until their isolation period ends.
Sudan would welcome the cooperation of other UN nations in working with Non-Governmental Organizations like UNICEF, WHO, and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to increase information about preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the prevalence of vector-borne illness.
