Posts tagged Congo
An 8-month-old boy, held by a relative, recovers from malaria in the pediatric ward of the MSF-run Niangara Hospital in Haut-Uele Province. MSF staff in DRC have seen a marked increase in malaria cases in six provinces over the last months.
Photo by Robin Meldrum/MSF
Over the past three years, MSF teams have witnessed a rather astonishing rise in the number of malaria cases in Democratic Republic of Congo. For its part, MSF is now responding to outbreaks in six separate provinces in the east and north of the country, but a wider, more concerted effort is urgently needed to battle this potentially fatal disease that traditionally afflicts the young and the infirm. Learn more.
Infographic by will owen.
If nothing is done, it is highly likely that the 15,000 people currently on the waiting list and in urgent need of ARV drugs will be dead within three years. As horrifying as that number is, it represents only the tip of the iceberg when you realize that most people living with HIV/AIDS in DRC do not know their HIV status. Many will die in silence and neglect.
I have worked with HIV-positive patients in many countries in central and southern Africa, but what I’m seeing in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not existed elsewhere for years. The situation here reminds me of the time before any antiretroviral (ARV) treatment was available. Our doctors face serious complications every day that could be prevented if patients received early ARV treatment.
The Struggle For Basic Medical Care in North Kivu, DRC
A MSF project coordinator in Mweso, North Kivu, describes the difficulties Congolese face in getting even the most basic health care.
Day In, Day Out: Delivering Basic Health Care in the Congo
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) runs a primary health care program in and around the village of Mweso, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
DRC is rich in natural resources that could help provide prosperity and services for its residents. Instead, as various militias battle for control of these resources, violence remains a constant risk for most civilians. They must struggle to get what they need to survive—including a minimum of health care.
Mbandaka, DR Congo (Robin Meldrum, 2011)
“The plastic sheeting fence surrounding MSF’s CTC in Mbandaka has slits at regular intervals to slot it being blown down in strong gusts of wind. But these slits let curious passers-by look in to see what goes on inside the CTC. A cholera epidemic has spread more than 1,000km from Kisangani down the Congo river to the outskirts of Kinshasa.”
I strongly urge you to check out the MSF photoblog if you haven’t already.
Thank you! We crosspost some of the photos here, but you should definitely check out our photo blog for more glimpses of our work and patients.
Fighting A Cholera Epidemic in the Congo
A cholera epidemic is sweeping down the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Originating in the distant centre of the vast central African country it has now reached the capital, Kinshasa, more than 1,000 miles southwest. People are sick and dying and desperate for help. Robin Meldrum went to the town of Mbandaka, where an MSF emergency team is responding to the crisis.
A national staff member takes a break to play with children during MSF’s emergency response to a raging measles epidemic in remote Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Staff used canoes, motorcycles, and cars to reach the affected population at 12 sites. By May 20, MSF had treated more than 2,000 patients; 250 required hospitalization.
Read more: Treating Measles in a Remote Province of DRC
Photo : 2011 © Laetitia Legrand/MSF
We are extremely concerned about the fate of civilians in this area—normal people who have nothing to do with the conflict and who bear the brunt of a recent increase in violence and insecurity in this part of eastern DRC.
Women, men, and children victimized by another instance of mass rape in eastern DRC
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has provided specialized care to 53 women, men, and children who were raped in a series of incidents that occurred between January 19 and 21 in South Kivu Province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Most of the rape survivors MSF treated yesterday said they were ambushed on January 19 around the village of Nakatete, as they returned from market. They told MSF they had been held hostage throughout the day, raped multiple times, and subjected to further degrading treatment. Patients ranged in age from 13 to 60. Women and girls had been separated from men and their clothes and belongings were stolen.
These new incidents of large scale rape come a few weeks after a mass rape on New Year’s Day in the Fizi region of South Kivu.
For years, civilians in eastern DRC have suffered sexual violence related to ongoing conflict. But MSF has not provided medical treatment for rape on this scale in South Kivu since 2004. In an already volatile context, MSF is witnessing a further deterioration of the situation, which is directly impacting the civilian population.
Learn more: DRC: Civilians Increasingly Targeted by Violence and Insecurity in East
It’s an interesting transition – the move from traditional MSF style hi-tech substitution healthcare, to fully integrated, resource-limited, sustainable healthcare…I am optimistic now…the quality of care is more than acceptable, and a huge number of obstacles have been overcome.
MSF doctor Kiran Jobanputra’s last blog post from the Congo.
MSF Field Blog: And New Beginnings...
Last blog post from MSF doctor, Kiran, in Congo. The Bon Marche Hospital is now closed and Kiran looks to the future. A big thank you to Kiran for sharing his experiences with us!
Currently we direct more resources to our projects in DRC than anywhere else, employing a field staff of more than 2,000. See the film we just released, “DRC: The Malnutrition That Shouldn’t Be” or more info on all of our projects in DRC here.
Living in Emergency: NOW PLAYING! Visit the Living in Emergency site to find screenings in your area.
Synopsis: Filmed in the war-zones of Liberia and Congo with unprecedented access to the field operations of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), LIVING IN EMERGENCY follows four volunteer doctors as they struggle to provide emergency medical care under extreme conditions.
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Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
