Executive Summary

This report analyzes Sudan's interventional cardiac catheterization capacity and procedural activity from 2018 through September 2025. The data shows significant growth in services until 2022, severe disruption during the 2023-2025 conflict period, and a resilient recovery driven by regional centers.

Conflict Impact (April 2023-Present): The war severely disrupted services in Khartoum where main cardiac centers are located. Three major centers were rendered completely non-operational for several months. Procedure volumes dropped by over 50% in 2023 compared to 2022.

Trend Analysis: Steady growth from 2018-2022 reflecting increased national capacity. 2022 marked peak performance. Significant disruption in 2023-2025 due to conflict. Modest recovery in 2025 driven by regional centers outside Khartoum.

Cardiac Intervention Centers

As of October 2025, 10 cardiac intervention centers are actively providing services across Sudan, with 3 additional centers expected by 2026.

# Center Name Location / State Status Ownership / Type
1 Medani Heart Center Al-Jazirah State Active Public
2 Al-Dhaman Hospital, Merowe Northern State Active Social Insurance
3 Shendi Heart Center River Nile Active Public
4 Atbara Medical Complex River Nile Active Public
5 Omdurman Teaching Hospital Khartoum Active Public
6 Al-Dhaman Hospital, El Obeid North Kordofan Active Social Insurance
7 Alia Specialized Hospital Khartoum Active Private
8 Dongola Hospital Northern State Active Public
9 Ahmed Gasim Cardiac Center Khartoum Limited* Public
10 Port Sudan Heart Center Red Sea State Active Public

Note: *Ahmed Gasim Cardiac Center was rendered non-operational for several months during the conflict but has since resumed limited operations. Alshaab and Sudan Cardiac Center (not listed) were also severely affected.

Geographic Distribution

Khartoum
3 Centers
Most affected by conflict
Northern State
2 Centers
Merowe, Dongola
River Nile
2 Centers
Shendi, Atbara
Al-Jazirah
1 Center
Medani
Other States
2 Centers
North Kordofan, Red Sea
Active Centers
Limited Operation
New Centers (2026)

Planned Expansion (2025-2026)

Within 6 Months

  • Al-Qadarif Hospital (Al-Qadarif)
  • Kassala Hospital (Kassala)

Infrastructure ready; supply chain and equipment pending

By End of 2026

  • Kosti Cardiac Center (White Nile)

In planning/construction phase

Network Expansion: With activation of these additional centers, the national network will expand from 10 to 13 cardiac intervention facilities, improving access across eastern and central regions.

Coronary Artery Intervention Procedures (2018-September 2025)

Annual statistics for diagnostic (CAG) and interventional (PCI) cardiac procedures from 2018 through September 2025.

Procedure Type 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 War 2024 War 2025* War Total
Coronary Angiography (CAG) 4,035 5,360 3,263 4,345 5,212 2,819 2,255 2,817 30,106
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) 1,233 1,902 1,272 1,428 1,809 1,183 772 841 10,440
Total Procedures 5,268 7,262 4,535 5,773 7,021 4,002 3,027 3,658 40,546

Note: *2025 data is for January-September only (9 months). CAG = Coronary Angiography (diagnostic procedure). PCI = Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (therapeutic procedure).

Conflict Period: The period from April 2023 onward was marked by severe conflict and instability, particularly affecting the capital region where the main cardiac centers are located.

War Period Impact Analysis (April 2023 - September 2025)

Analysis of cardiac service performance during the conflict period, showing disruption patterns and regional resilience.

Critical Disruption: Starting April 2023, the war severely disrupted services in Khartoum. Three of the largest centers—Ahmed Gasim, Alshaab, and Sudan Cardiac Center—were rendered completely non-operational for several months as a result of the conflict.

Year PCI Procedures CAG Procedures Total Procedures % of 2022 Peak
2022 (Pre-War Peak) 1,809 5,212 7,021 100%
2023 (War Year 1) 1,183 2,819 4,002 57.0%
2024 (War Year 2) 772 2,255 3,027 43.1%
2025* (War Year 3) 841 2,817 3,658 52.1%
War Period Total 2,796 7,891 10,687 50.8% of 2022 Annual

War Period Performance

Recovery Trend (2023-2025)

Resilience Analysis: Despite the ongoing instability, several centers outside the capital (e.g., Atbara, Merowe, Shendi, Port Sudan) maintained or resumed operations, enabling a modest rebound in 2025 volumes. Diagnostic recovery (CAG) is progressing faster than interventional recovery (PCI), highlighting supply chain and human resource challenges specific to interventions.

Recovery & Resilience

Analysis of recovery patterns and system resilience demonstrated by Sudan's cardiac service network during and after the conflict period.

Network Resilience
8-10 Centers
Regional centers maintained operations during conflict
Sustained function outside Khartoum
Diagnostic Recovery
+24.9%
CAG increase from 2024 to 2025 (9 months)
Faster recovery than interventional
Interventional Recovery
+8.9%
PCI increase from 2024 to 2025 (9 months)
Slower due to supply chain issues
Network Expansion
+30%
Planned center increase (10 to 13)
Improved geographic access

Overall Performance (War Period 2023-2025): Across the three-year conflict period, total procedural activity reached ~10,687 (CAG + PCI combined for full years 2023-2024 plus 9 months of 2025). While this is significantly below pre-war output, the sustained function of 8-10 regional centers demonstrates the strong resilience of the cardiac service network.

Projected Recovery Trajectory

Strategic Recommendations: To accelerate recovery, focus should be on: (1) Strengthening supply chains for interventional equipment and consumables, (2) Enhancing training and retention of specialized staff, (3) Developing decentralized service models to reduce geographic vulnerabilities, (4) Investing in telemedicine and remote consultation capabilities.