Assessing the Impact of Disabilities on Healthcare Access among Sudanese Refugees in Egypt during the 2023 Crisis: A Discriminant Analysis Approach

Hatem Semary¹Khamis A Al-Karawi²Mahmoud Abdelwahab¹Suzan Abdel-Rahman³Komla Mawunyo Dossouvi^4*Amr Elkelish^1,5Abdelhamid El Shabrawy³

• ¹Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ²University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
• ³Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
• ⁴Global Health Research Institute, Lomé, Togo
• ⁵Suez Canal University, Ismaïlia, Egypt

The longstanding presence of Sudanese refugees in Egypt—fueled by decades of political instability, conflict, and economic hardship in Sudan—has evolved with the recent 2023 crisis. This study investigates the living conditions, health status, and the impact of disabilities on healthcare access among newly displaced Sudanese in Egypt. A phone-based survey was administered to 531 Sudanese refugees, and the data was analyzed using discriminant analysis to distinguish between families with and without healthcare challenges. The sample had a mean age of 39.85 years, and the majority were female (75.5%), married (61.4%), and possessed a university-level education or higher (50.5%). On average, 4.92 family members migrated to Egypt with the respondent. The analysis revealed that chronic conditions such as spinal diseases and diabetes, along with the need for regular monthly treatment, were the strongest predictors of healthcare challenges among Sudanese refugee families. Additionally, disabilities including vision impairments, mobility difficulties, and intellectual disabilities were significantly associated with increased barriers to accessing healthcare services. These findings underscore the compounded vulnerabilities of Sudanese refugees with disabilities and highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance healthcare accessibility and overall well-being.