International funding to support neonatal care in conflict-hit Sudan

LONDON — International funding has been secured to support neonatal care in Sudan ahead of World Health Day, aid groups said, as nearly three years of war continue to cripple the country’s healthcare system and expose newborns to life-threatening risks.

The funding, amounting to about CAD $750,000 (roughly £400,000), comes through the Creating Hope in Conflict programme backed by the British and Canadian governments, and will support the delivery of 30 neonatal incubators to Sudan through a partnership between mOm Incubators and International Medical Corps.

“UK medical device company mOm Incubators has been awarded CAD $747,584 to deliver 30 of its neonatal incubators to Sudan to improve access to essential neonatal care,” the company said in a statement.

Sudan’s healthcare system has been severely degraded since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with hospitals damaged, looted or forced out of service.

In many areas, facilities operate without reliable electricity, limiting their ability to provide basic care to newborns.

Aid agencies warn that the impact on children—particularly premature and low-birthweight babies—has intensified as the conflict continues.

Preterm birth rates in Sudan are estimated at around 13% of all births, with newborns facing heightened risks in overcrowded displacement settings and under-resourced clinics.

“War and other crises have been shown to increase the rates of preterm birth,” the statement said, adding that “when healthcare systems collapse, power is unreliable, and stress, malnutrition, and displacement are daily realities, the danger to newborns becomes acute.”

The incubators, designed for low-resource and crisis environments, are intended to help stabilize newborns who cannot regulate their body temperature—one of the leading causes of preventable neonatal deaths in emergency settings.

“Thermal care is one of the essential services that all newborns should receive; for small or sick newborns, it is critical to stabilize body temperature and prevent hypothermia,” said Lauren Bellhouse, Senior Advisor Global Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Technical Unit at International Medical Corps.

Humanitarian groups say access to affected areas remains uneven due to ongoing fighting, insecurity and logistical constraints, raising concerns over the timely delivery and deployment of the equipment.

Still, aid organizations say targeted interventions such as neonatal care support could help reduce preventable deaths among newborns, even as the broader conflict shows no sign of easing.