Khartoum, 3-2-2026 (SUNA) – Federal Minister of Health, Professor Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim, held an extensive technical meeting on Tuesday at his office in the Federal Ministry of Health with a high-level delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO). The delegation included expert Boris from the organization’s headquarters in Geneva and specialist Shaza Said Ahmed from the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, with the ministry’s senior health officials also in attendance.The meeting focused on evaluating the Early Warning and Rapid Response System in the Darfur region, which was launched a year and a half ago to monitor epidemics and public health emergencies. The system covers more than 500 surveillance and investigation sites across the region and primarily tracks cholera, dengue fever, tropical diseases, as well as childhood illnesses. It also allows the Ministry of Health to analyze data regularly to make informed decisions and ensure rapid interventions.The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the programme to ensure full 100% coverage and overcome current challenges, including internet and communications outages that hinder information flow.Professor Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim emphasized the importance of this system in providing a comprehensive picture of the health situation not only in Darfur but across all Sudanese states. He also praised the significant role of WHO and international partners in supporting the health system, affirming the ministry’s commitment to enhancing coordination with WHO offices in Geneva, Cairo, and Khartoum to ensure effective responses to health crises.This meeting came amid the exceptional circumstances Sudan is currently facing, making early epidemic surveillance systems the first line of defense against disease outbreaks in displacement camps.BH/BH