Face of Truth: Dengue Fever and the Golden Billion..!
Ibrahim Shaqlawi
It does not seem that the dengue fever epidemic is a mere medical phenomenon, rather it has become a clear reflection of dysfunctions in the health system. It also reveals weaknesses in crisis management, and shines a light on the internal challenges and external pressures.
In this context, the epidemic appears as one of the manifestations of the question: who has the right to survive in a world in which the demographic and environmental rules of the game are being rewritten? This is a crisis that is not limited to disease, but extends to existential questions concerning the future of humanity on this planet, and the ability of political and health systems to protect it.
Dengue fever, which is spreading today in Khartoum and elsewhere, besides being a biological epidemic, has become a clear representation of the fragile condition of our health and social systems in our country, amid a destructive war and deteriorating living conditions.
Amidst this complex scene, the theory of the “Golden Billion” emerges, which posits that global elites seek to reduce the Earth’s population to one billion people under the pretext of conserving resources. And although it is sometimes classified as a “conspiracy theory,” its outlines appear in some political and international discourses, raising legitimate questions about the real intentions behind certain health and environmental policies.
Since the outbreak of war in Sudan on April 15, 2023, the capital Khartoum has transformed into a stricken city. Government institutions disappeared, infrastructure collapsed, and the capital has been entirely violated by the Rapid Support Forces militia. In this environment, the dengue fever epidemic broke out rapidly, particularly in Omdurman, where I personally witnessed the scenes of disease and the suffering of the people.
By September 12, 2025, 1523 confirmed cases were recorded in Khartoum State, and 52 deaths in five states, according to data from the Ministry of Health, reflecting the magnitude of health deterioration and the weakness of medical services.
The climatic environment contributed to the spread of the disease, as heavy rains coincided with the absence of an effective system for draining water, so that stagnant pools accumulated, becoming ideal breeding grounds for the disease‑carrying mosquitoes. Alongside the lack of effective awareness campaigns by governmental bodies and organizations.
We in the media have grown accustomed with the beginning of each year to monitor what television channels and news journals say about the new year, and what is repeated by those presented as “fortune‑tellers” or “soothsayers,” not out of belief in their predictions, but because we are well aware that behind them often stand entities with precise strategies that employ this kind of soft messaging to shape collective awareness and prepare public opinion for what is to come.
And with the start of 2025, talk among these “seers” increased that the first half of the year would witness a widespread epidemic, which at the time appeared to be an exaggeration or media sensationalism. But today, with the spread of dengue fever in a number of countries, we find ourselves face to face with this scenario that has become a reality, and Sudan is no exception.
Indeed the epidemic has already involved dozens of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, reaching some European countries, according to reports from the European Centers for Disease Control, which raises questions about the extent of international readiness, and the unannounced objectives behind the acceleration of these health phenomena.
Are we facing a natural epidemic? Or are there international parties taking advantage of the fragility of the Sudanese and developing states to pass hidden agendas? These questions, heavy as they may seem, are not to be ignored, for their political dimensions may be more lethal than the epidemics themselves.
Despite the controversy surrounding the “Golden Billion theory,” it is no longer just material for political analysis books. Russia, through President Putin, has declared that there are indeed attempts to reshape the world according to selective foundations.
Historically, the British thinker Thomas Malthus in the eighteenth century called for limiting population growth for economic and environmental reasons. And in the 1970s, Henry Kissinger adopted austere population policies toward the Third World countries, especially the Islamic ones, under the pretext of preserving global resources.
Sudan, given current conditions, seems to have become fertile ground for undeclared political and health experiments. Khartoum, the national capital, its heritage is plundered and its copper cables are stolen and its libraries and universities are bombed, while some conniving forces race to exploit this chaos to rearrange the new scene.
And despite promising moves, such as the committee of Lieutenant General Ibrahim Jaber to try to reactivate the government, and the proposal of a new capital, time is passing and lives are being lost, amid an almost total absence of the role of the Federal Ministry of Health, where its inability to provide diagnostic testing, basic treatments, and primary relief has become obvious.
Dengue fever as seen by #FaceOfTruth is not merely a health crisis, but a sign of potential collapse in politics, environment, and society. What is happening in Sudan today reflects a global pattern in which the fates of nations are being re‑shaped at the expense of the weak. Therefore, confronting the epidemic requires more than a medical response; it demands collective political awareness and a vigilant media discourse that understands that ignoring these crises is an implicit participation in producing them.
May you remain well and safe.
Monday, September 22, 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com