Susanas Story

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Susana woke up in sudden pain. Pregnant with her eighth child, she knew that something was terribly wrong. But it wasn’t the baby, it was her. “I had a very bad headache, a fever, and my whole body was shaking,” said 28-year-old Susana Akemani, who lives near the town of Isiro in D.R. Congo (DRC). “I knew immediately that I had malaria.” Malaria is no stranger to families in remote northeastern DRC. Conditions are ripe for mosquitoes to thrive here and few can afford mosquito nets or proper health treatment. But left untreated, malaria is a deadly killer. In this region, malaria is the single largest cause of illness and death, accounting for up to 35 percent of all consultations at health centres.  And so, to protect herself and her unborn child, Susana knew she needed urgent malaria treatment. But she had no money to spare. “Usually we have one meal per day,” said Susana, who grows cassava on a small piece of land behind her house to feed her family. “If there is some left, we will have that for breakfast the next morning, but when times are hard, we go to bed on an empty stomach.” A Precarious Existence Years of conflict in northeastern DRC have left the population extremely vulnerable, with very limited access to basic services such as access to quality health care, safe drinking water, or proper sanitation facilities.  Susana and her family exemplify the precarious nature of life in this region.  She and her husband live with their seven children in a tiny mud house with a grass-thatched roof.  Six of her children sleep in one single bed, furnished with a skimpy bed sheet and a tattered mosquito net. “I received three bed nets about four years back as part of a government malaria campaign, but now they are old and torn, so my children are not properly protected from mosquitoes,” said Susana. “I cannot spare the five dollars it costs to buy a bed net, because with that money I can buy food.” Digging a proper latrine is a luxury for this family, so a shallow hole with two wooden planks to step on serves the purpose of a toilet. They use old school notebooks as toilet paper. The compound is surrounded by a ditch filled with stagnant water – a breeding ground for mosquitoes. “My biggest worry is my children’s health,” said Susana. “They are often sick with malaria and diarrhoea, and treatment is expensive.” Medair’s Malaria Project In May 2010, Medair launched a major new project in remote parts of DRC’s Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé districts to prevent malaria and to treat it swiftly when it arises. With this project, Medair provides free malaria care and medication for pregnant women and children under five across eight health zones. Medair is also distributing more than 25,000 mosquito-repelling bed nets for children and pregnant women like Susana to sleep under. “I had heard from people in the village that the clinic was treating people for malaria for free, so I came,” said Susana, smiling. “I received free treatments and was given a bed net to take home with me.” Millions Still At Risk As part of the project, Medair is supervising and training local health workers to better recognise the early symptoms of malaria and to provide more effective treatment. We are also educating communities about malaria prevention and treatment at the household level. “If malaria prevention is done correctly at the household level, we will reduce at least half of the hospital attendance at the health structures,” explained Dr. Michel Lusundju, Malaria Project Manager with Medair. While Medair’s current project is making a life-saving impact for thousands of families, there are 20 million people in this country who suffer from malaria every year. “We simply do not have enough resources to meet the high demand in this country for malaria treatment and bed nets,” said Dr. Lusundju. “There is still a huge percentage of the population that remains at risk.” New Health, New Life Thankfully, we were able to provide essential care to Susana when she needed it most. With malaria treatment, Susana is now much healthier and better able to help support her family. And after a recent healthy delivery, Susana and her husband now have eight beautiful children. “I am so grateful for the assistance I received,” said Susana, with her newly born daughter Teresa sleeping peacefully beside her. “If it were not for the free treatment, I would not have dared to come to the clinic. I just couldn’t have afforded it.” With your support, we will provide life-saving care to many more people in need like Susana and her family. Please donate to Medair today. Medair’s malaria project is supported by Swiss Solidarity, the Global Fund (via SANRU Rural Health Programme of D.R. Congo), and private donors. As one of the longest serving international NGOs in the region, Medair has provided health services in northeastern DRC since 1997. Today, Medair supports more than 200 health clinics in the vast jungle regions of the northeast, bringing relief to more than one million Congolese people each year. Medair is also working in the region to improve access to WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) and reduce the risk of water-related illnesses.  This story was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.  Donate Now. Click Here More information about Medair's activities in D.R. Congo. Read More