Protecting the health of the most vulnerable in the overlooked Democratic Republic of Congo crisis

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Abstract

Background and Aim

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing a humanitarian crisis due to prolonged conflicts, human rights abuses, and gender‐based violence. This perspective article aims to discuss the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in the DRC, including the impact of interventions and broader humanitarian strategies.

Methods

A search on Google Scholar was carried out to identify relevant journal articles. Additionally, relevant reports and data on the DR Congo crisis were sourced from the websites of international and humanitarian organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Health Organization, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Results

The crisis has led to 6.1 million displaced individuals and 1 million seeking asylum in neighboring countries. Insecurity and displacement further exacerbate the crisis, exacerbating health issues and malnutrition, particularly among women and children. The deterioration of water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure in the region facilitates the spread of infectious diseases. The UN has appealed for $8.3 billion in humanitarian assistance in West and Central Africa, including DRC. However, more attention and efforts are needed to curb the menace of the conflict.

Conclusions

Addressing root causes like political volatility, economic disparity, and social unrest is crucial for sustained health protection. Tailoring humanitarian assistance to the context of conflict is essential, prioritizing mental health support and psychosocial services. Improving access to healthcare is crucial. Addressing food insecurity is essential, involving targeted food assistance programs, improving agricultural practices, and establishing income‐generating activities. Sustaining international assistance and investments are needed to address the health needs of the most vulnerable populations.

Related collections

Most cited references 7

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COVID-19: The Current Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Carl Juma, Nestor Kalume Mushabaa, Feruzi Abdu Salam … (2020)

Abstract. COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that has affected all African countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Formidable challenges limit precautionary measures which were instituted by the government to curb the pandemic. Insufficient COVID-19 testing laboratories, limited medical and personal protective equipment, and an inadequate number of health workers leave the country ill-equipped in the fight against the pandemic. Lack of assistance from the government to those who lost their jobs due to lockdown forced these individuals to go outside to find provisions, thus increasing the spread of the virus. Moreover, the fragile healthcare system is overburdened by civil conflicts and other epidemics and endemics amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The conflicts have led to thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displacements and deprived many people of basic health services. The 11th outbreak of Ebola has been increasing at an alarming pace, and it is expected to soar because of a shortfall of funds and insufficient numbers of health workers. The DRC with the cooperation of regional powers needs to address these challenges in a manner similar to that used in the previous Ebola epidemics. Moreover, the government should have a balance in shifting the available resources between COVID-19 and other diseases. Until a vaccine is available, the DRC needs to be prudent when lifting restrictions to prevent explosion of new cases.

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Health services for women, children and adolescents in conflict affected settings: experience from North and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Chiara Altare, Espoir Malembaka, Maphie Tosha … (2020)

Background Insecurity has characterized the Eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades. Providing health services to sustain women’s and children’s health during protracted conflict is challenging. This mixed-methods case study aimed to describe how reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services have been offered in North and South Kivu since 2000 and how successful they were. Methods We conducted a case study using a desk review of publicly available literature, secondary analysis of survey and health information system data, and primary qualitative interviews. The qualitative component provides insights on factors shaping RMNCAH+N design and implementation. We conducted 49 interviews with government officials, humanitarian agency staff and facility-based healthcare providers, and focus group discussions with community health workers in four health zones (Minova, Walungu, Ruanguba, Mweso). We applied framework analysis to investigate key themes across informants. The quantitative component used secondary data from nationwide surveys and the national health facility information system to estimate coverage of RMNCAH+N interventions at provincial and sub-provincial level. The association between insecurity on service provision was examined with random effects generalized least square models using health facility data from South Kivu. Results Coverage of selected preventive RMNCAH+N interventions seems high in North and South Kivu, often higher than the national level. Health facility data show a small negative association of insecurity and preventive service coverage within provinces. However, health outcomes are poorer in conflict-affected territories than in stable ones. The main challenges to service provisions identified by study respondents are the availability and retention of skilled personnel, the lack of basic materials and equipment as well as the insufficient financial resources to ensure health workers’ regular payment, medicaments’ availability and facilities’ running costs. Insecurity exacerbates pre-existing challenges, but do not seem to represent the main barrier to service provision in North and South Kivu. Conclusions Provision of preventive schedulable RMNCAH+N services has continued during intermittent conflict in North and South Kivu. The prolonged effort by non-governmental organizations and UN agencies to respond to humanitarian needs was likely key in maintaining intervention coverage despite conflict. Health actors and communities appear to have adapted to changing levels and nature of insecurity and developed strategies to ensure preventive services are provided and accessed. However, emergency non-schedulable RMNCAH+N interventions do not appear to be readily accessible. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require increased access to life-saving interventions, especially for newborn and pregnant women.

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COVID-19, bubonic and meningitis in Democratic Republic of Congo: the confluence of three plagues at a challenging time

Abdullahi T Aborode, Wireko Andrew Awuah, Aashna Mehta … (2022)

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Author and article information

Contributors

Sandra S. Phiri:

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7362-2164

sandrasalomy.phiri@gmail.com

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Health Sci Rep

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Health Sci Rep

Journal ID (doi): 10.1002/(ISSN)2398-8835

Journal ID (publisher-id): HSR2

Title: Health Science Reports

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc. (Hoboken )

ISSN (Electronic): 2398-8835

Publication date (Electronic): 20 August 2024

Publication date Collection: August 2024

Volume: 7

Issue: 8 ( doiID: 10.1002/hsr2.v7.8 )

Electronic Location Identifier: e70011

Affiliations

[ ¹ ] Youth On Board Organization (YOBO) Blantyre Malawi

[ ² ] Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College Krakow Poland

[ ³ ] School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield Sheffield UK

[ ⁴ ] eHealth Africa Kano State Nigeria

Author notes

[*] [* ] Correspondence Sandra S. Phiri, Youth On Board Organization (YOBO), Chilembwe Rd, Blantyre, Malawi.

Email: sandrasalomy.phiri@ 123456gmail.com

Author information

Sandra S. Phiri http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7362-2164

Nsikakabasi S. George http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9972-6482

Article

Publisher ID: HSR270011

DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.70011

PMC ID: 11335806

PubMed ID: 39170893

SO-VID: 1d2a1c11-4b49-45d1-9853-72cad4758013

License:

This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

History

Date revision received : 05 June 2024

Date received : 25 March 2024

Date accepted : 05 August 2024

Page count

Figures: 0, Tables: 0, Pages: 4, Words: 2618

Custom metadata

source-schema-version-number 2.0

cover-date August 2024

details-of-publishers-convertor Converter:WILEY_ML3GV2_TO_JATSPMC version:6.4.6 mode:remove_FC converted:21.08.2024

Keywords: displaced people,dr congo,food insecurity,humanitarian crisis,social determinants of health

Data availability:

Keywords: displaced people, dr congo, food insecurity, humanitarian crisis, social determinants of health