* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Medair’s new health project aims to save lives and protect the health of the most vulnerable people in D.R. Congo.
Eastern D.R. Congo continues to be a hotbed of indiscriminate violence, where armed militia target innocent families as often as they target one another. Attacks leave a devastating trail of murder, sexual violence, abductions, pillaged homes, and ruined crops in their wake. In Orientale province, there are hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced by the violence to shelter in informal camps, host communities, or in the cover of the surrounding jungle.
Deadly health problems thrive in these kinds of perilous environments, where access to health care is limited, living conditions are overcrowded, and clean water and sanitation facilities are hard to come by. Young children under five and new or expectant mothers are the most vulnerable among the displaced. Indeed, the 2012 UNICEF Child Survival report identifies D.R. Congo as the fifth worst country in the world for child mortality.
Medair has recently launched a one-year project that will provide free health care for children under five and pregnant or lactating women at 31 health clinics in Eastern D.R. Congo, benefiting an estimated 97,500 Congolese. The health clinics cover a broad expanse of conflict-affected regions, including Ango, Irumu, and Mambasa territories and some of the health zones adjacent to them. Much of this work will build on achievements from past projects in the region, while expanding Medair’s reach into new territory as well. This life-saving project is made possible thanks to the support of United Stages Agency for International Development and private donors.
Medair’s project will focus on the treatment and prevention of the most common health problems in the area: malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, and maternal and child health problems. Survivors of sexual violence and patients with sexually transmitted infections will also receive free medical care. Medair will work to strengthen the quality of care at all of the clinics through the training and supervision of health professionals.
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Medair helps people who are suffering in remote and devastated communities around the world survive crises, recover with dignity, and develop the skills they need to build a better future.
This information 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.
