Sudan civil war forces cancer patients to endure hazardous journeys for treatment

Medical missionary Tom Catena has run the Mother of Mercy hospital in the Nuba Mountains for over a decade, but the ongoing civil war has crippled Sudan’s health system. The remote facility, the largest in the region, lacks an oncologist, yet patients with serious illnesses continue to arrive.

One patient, Fatouma Mahdi Ahmed Saeed, was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year in Nyala. With no local treatment options, she traveled hundreds of miles to the hospital, enduring a perilous journey despite the danger.

The United Nations reports that about 13 million Sudanese have been displaced since the conflict began in 2023, and health facilities have faced 205 attacks. Ongoing aid cuts further strain the ability to provide care for chronic diseases such as cancer.