Varying ecological conditions in Sudan, poor hygiene, and widespread malnutrition result in a high incidence of fatal infectious diseases. The most common illnesses are malaria, measles, and tuberculosis. Cerebrospinal meningitis, whooping cough, and infectious hepatitis are not uncommon. Many Sudanese in rural areas suffer from temporary undernourishment on a seasonal basis. Malnutrition is prevalent year-round in Darfur, especially among children, because of the disruptive effects of ongoing conflict.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, the Ministry of Health initiated a national program intended to provide primary health care throughout the country with an emphasis on preventive medicine. A lack of funds severely affected the plan’s implementation, as it would the government’s establishment in the early 1990s of three tiers of health care at the federal, state, and local levels. At the beginning of the 21st century, roughly half of all Sudanese had access to health services, but accessibility greatly depended upon geographic location. Most of the country’s small number of physicians are concentrated in the urban areas, as are the major hospitals.