fatima_al_amoudi

Sudanese medical pioneer who established the first midwifery school in East Africa in 1948

Fatima Al-Amoudi (1922-2005) broke barriers as Sudan's first female surgeon and founder of the Khartoum Midwifery Institute. Born in Port Sudan to a merchant family, she studied medicine in Cairo during WWII, facing gender discrimination. Her 1948 school trained over 1,200 midwives, drastically reducing maternal mortality in the region. During the 1956 Sudanese independence movement, she organized mobile clinics that treated soldiers and civilians alike. Her medical foundation still operates in 15 African countries. Fatima developed a low-cost antiseptic solution using local herbs, saving thousands from puerperal fever. Her 1963 autobiography Needle and Thread details her struggles against tribal traditions. Though nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1972, her contributions remain underrecognized globally. Recent documentaries include The Thread of Life (2020).