The health system in the crisis-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a critical juncture, according to a warning issued by the World Health Organization on Friday.
Specifically, the eastern region of DR Congo is grappling with escalating violence and insecurity, which is having a severe impact on public health, as stated by the WHO.
The immense central African nation’s healthcare system and available resources are under immense strain due to concurrent outbreaks of diseases, including yellow fever, cholera, and malaria, which have been exacerbated by recent natural disasters, as reported by the UN health agency.
According to the WHO, “the entire health system is currently stretched to its limits.”
Armed groups have plagued the eastern DRC for the past three decades, stemming from regional conflicts that erupted in the 1990s and 2000s.
The United Nations has stated that nearly one million people have already been displaced from their homes in eastern DRC this year, citing armed attacks against civilians and escalating instability.
Since December, the eastern DRC has reported approximately 25,000 cases of cholera and over 136,000 cases of measles, with 2,000 deaths attributed to measles so far this year.
The conflict and resultant displacement have led the eastern province of North Kivu to account for half of the cholera cases reported since June of the previous year.
The WHO requires $174 million in funding this year to provide urgent healthcare assistance in the DRC; however, only $23 million has been raised thus far.
The agency has intensified emergency healthcare assistance in the eastern provinces, focusing on disease early warning and surveillance.
On June 2, 2021, in Washington, the World Bank sanctioned a $50 million financing initiative from the International Development Association (IDA) to enhance the usage and quality of reproductive, maternal, and child services among the most impoverished households.
The “Kobikisa” (“Save” in Lingala) Health System Strengthening Project aims to ensure free healthcare for specific diseases like malaria and provide complimentary vaccinations. Over the course of three years, it will bolster the capacity of healthcare systems to address the healthcare needs of the population in 36 districts, granting access to essential health services for approximately two million individuals.
The Republic of Congo continues to face significant obstacles in accessing basic reproductive, maternal, and child health services. The high mortality rate can be attributed to the subpar quality of services. While nearly 90% of births in health facilities are attended to by skilled birth attendants, and maternal mortality rates have declined in recent decades, the rate remains high (378 deaths per 100,000 live births) when compared to the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Despite these efforts, the healthcare system still falls short of expectations.
