The impact of civil war on medical training in Sudan after 2 years- a questionnaire-based survey

Abstract Background The break-out of the civil conflict in Sudan in April 2023 has witnessed widespread infrastructural destruction. Most attempts to gauge the impact of this on medical and dental education, have been limited to the first few months of the conflict and concentrated mainly on the impact of the war on students. Our objectives were therefore to determine the impact of the war on students and teachers 2 years into the war and by inference on healthcare manpower planning. Material and methods A cross-sectional online questionnaire-based survey of students and teachers from various universities in Sudan between 1st May and 31st July 2025. The survey of students focused on the current status of their educational institutions and the impact of the war on teaching and their plans. That of the teachers in addition to the themes on the students questionnaire also asked about their views on how the war has affected student numbers. Results A total of 32 students and 29 teachers from 27 (out a possible 70) institutions completed the questionnaire. 19 (70.4%) institutions had relocated from their permanent sites to other sites within Sudan or overseas - 10 of these to safer parts of Sudan and 9 to another country (Rwanda and Saudi Arabia). Of those that remained opened on their original site (8) face-to-face teaching was suspended in 2, and clinical teaching suspended in 3. Online teaching increased in all the institutions (from <5% to 46.7%). The teachers estimated that the student dropout rate varied from 13-100%. The most suggested reason for drop out by the teachers was financial difficulties (44.8%). 30% of staff had left their jobs and relocated within Sudan for safety reasons or moved to another country. Conclusions The civil war in Sudan has caused significant disruption in medical education. This will have lasting consequences on the provision of healthcare in Sudan. Clinical trial number Not applicable.