The Cost of Insulin Goes Beyond the Pharmacy

Hasanat al-Rashid, 48, has lived with diabetes for 15 years. Displacement during Sudan's war repeatedly interrupted her access to treatment and contributed to serious health complications.

She now depends on daily insulin, but buying it is only part of the challenge.

According to Al Jazeera, Hasanat uses insulin vials because they are more affordable upfront than insulin pens. Without a refrigerator, however, she must also buy ice to keep her insulin cool.

The report documented a cost of approximately 180,000 Sudanese pounds a month for ice alone.

For Hasanat, even choosing the less expensive option does not remove the financial pressure. The medicine has to be purchased, stored properly, and available every day.

Her experience highlights a problem that can easily be missed in discussions about medicine prices: access to treatment also depends on the conditions needed to use it safely.

When a Family Cannot Afford a Full Month of Treatment

At Port Sudan Hospital, 75-year-old Fatima Adam faces a different version of the same crisis.

She requires several medicines to manage hypertension, related heart complications, and a thyroid condition.

Her daughter, Aisha, told Al Jazeera that the family previously benefited from a national health insurance arrangement that covered much of Fatima's medication costs.

As the war damaged Sudan's economy, that support was disrupted.

The family now relies on income from casual work to cover treatment. Some months, they can afford a full supply of medicines. Other months, they purchase smaller quantities, interrupting the regular treatment Fatima needs.

A month's supply recently cost the family 160,000 Sudanese pounds, according to the October report.

For households without reliable income, maintaining treatment becomes a recurring financial challenge rather than a single medical expense.

A Medicine Supply System Damaged by War

The financial pressure facing patients is part of a larger breakdown in Sudan's pharmaceutical system.

According to figures provided to Al Jazeera by Sudan's National Medical Supplies Fund, the war has caused an estimated $500 million in losses to medicine stocks, infrastructure, and transport fleets.

Pharmaceutical production has also been disrupted. The National Medicines and Poisons Board reported that only eight of 30 pharmaceutical factories in Khartoum that closed during the conflict had resumed operations.

Greater reliance on imported medicines creates additional challenges when the Sudanese pound loses value and purchasing supplies becomes more expensive.

In Port Sudan, pharmacist Hossam al-Naeem described how increasing replacement costs make it difficult to keep medicines available at prices patients can afford.

For patients, having a pharmacy nearby does not guarantee that the required treatment will be in stock or affordable.

Interrupted Treatment Creates Another Health Emergency

The experiences documented in Port Sudan reflect a broader problem.

A study published in Scientific Reports in July 2026 examined healthcare disruption among 608 Sudanese adults living with diabetes, hypertension, or both.

Among the participants, 79% reported worsening control of their conditions, while 78.6% had missed follow-up care. The research collected data between September 2024 and March 2025.

These findings do not represent every person living with chronic illness in Sudan, but they document the serious consequences of interrupted healthcare among those surveyed.

The wider healthcare system remains under enormous pressure.

In April 2026, the World Health Organization reported that approximately 21 million people in Sudan lacked access to health services and that 37% of health facilities were non-functional.

When regular medical appointments, monitoring, and medicines become inaccessible, people living with chronic conditions face greater risks of complications that appropriate ongoing care might otherwise help prevent.

Why Continued Healthcare Support Matters

The needs facing Sudanese families rarely exist in isolation.

A person who cannot afford medicine may also be struggling to buy enough food, access clean water, or pay for transportation to a functioning clinic.

Responding to these pressures requires reliable medical supplies, functioning healthcare facilities, trained professionals, and support that allows families to continue seeking care.

AMEL Foundation works with local partners to support humanitarian healthcare activities in Sudan, alongside programmes addressing food security, clean water, and other essential needs.

These efforts cannot replace Sudan's damaged pharmaceutical supply system. They are part of a wider response to communities facing multiple pressures at once.

Learn more about AMEL Foundation's healthcare projects in Sudan.

For people living with chronic illness, treatment is not something they need once during an emergency. It is something they may need tomorrow, next month, and for years to come.

Their ability to access that care deserves the same sustained attention as the wider humanitarian crisis.