MSF-USA: MSF Programs in DR Congo

June 3, 2003
MSF Programs in DR Congo

EASTERN DRC

Ituri province

Bunia:
treating people with war-injuries at Bunia hospital and will open a new health structure in town; providing water and sanitation facilities in two camps with 10,000 displaced people.

N'dalia:
medical assistance, shelter and sanitation for the refugees having fled the fighting in Bunia 120 kilometers south. More than 10,000 refugees have already arrived.

Dungu:
assessing medical situation and working in hospital.

North Kivu province

Kabati Kitchanga:
therapeutic and supplementary feeding centers, TB and malaria treatment, basic health care, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) clinic.

Goma:
base for ad-hoc emergency response.

South Kivu province

Shabunda:
medical assistance to isolated community of 35,000 people in hospital and health centers.

Bukavu:
HIV/AIDS with counselling, testing and treatment of opportunistic infections. MSF will start antiretroviral (ARV) treatment of patients in near future.

Katanga province

Malemba:
gaining access to deliver basic health care to IDPs and isolated communities.

Pweto:
primary health care, surgery, antenatal care and underfive consultation in hospital and health centers and posts; vaccination programs and nutritional screening.

Kabalo:
therapeutic and supplementary feeding centers and nutritional survey; vaccination of 30,000 children between 6 months and 15 years at the beginning of June.

Nyunzu:
therapeutic feeding center; donations of drugs and material to hospital.

WESTERN DRC

Equator province

Trypanosomiasis / sleeping sickness program in Lukolela, Bomongo, Befale, Mbandaka

Equator, with 2.9 million people, is the largest province in the country and it has the highest incidence of sleeping sickness. A high-quality treatment program is vital in order to prevent the disease from spreading further. MSF tries to help the national program for the control of sleeping sickness through innovative strategies, also adapted to an urban environment. MSFs main activities are the screening, treatment and follow-up of patients, vector control and epidemiological surveillance in order to gain rapid control over the spread of the disease and limit transmission.

ALL OF DRC

Bandundu and Oriental provinces

Congo Emergency Pool (PUC) in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbandaka and Kisangani:

fast detection and response to emergencies: epidemics such as cholera, measles and meningitis, natural disasters and population movements. PUC conducts 30 assessments and 20 interventions per year.

Katanga, Equator and Bandundu provinces

HIV/AIDS program in Katanga, Equator and in the city of Kinshasa.

Katanga:
the proximity to Zambia and Tanzania explains in part the high prevalence of HIV in Katanga; MSF guarantees blood transfusions according to national standards in 20 hospitals as well as quality health care of STIs in 13 health centers. MSF also helps treat opportunistic infections and set up counselling, voluntary testing, awareness raising and training of Congolese staff in Lubumbashi. MSF targets the population in bigger cities and particular attention goes to the populations of military camps and displaced camps in these cities (Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Likasi, Kasumbalesa and Kipushi). Aside from clinical activities, MSF also runs awareness raising activities for target groups such as sex workers through outreach teams.

Equator:
HIV/AIDS program in 15 health centers and MSF starts with AIDS prevention in Mbandaka.

Kinshasa (Bandundu):
STI's are frequent and often not treated properly (auto-medication and lack of appropriate care at health structures). The HIV/AIDS program aims to ensure adequate services for people with STI's as well as awareness raising among those in high-risk groups.

Katanga, Equator and Oriental provinces

Health zones program: 24 international volunteers, 3 provinces, 11 health zones, 1.3 million direct beneficiaries.

Katanga:

Pweto, Kilwa, Kasenga health zone;

Equator:

Boende, Bomongo, Befalé, Bolomba, Djolu, Basankusu health zones;

Oriental: Yahuma health zone. With catastrophic health indicators in areas along the frontline and the prolonged isolation of communities, MSF has reoriented its approach from structural assistance to health zones to a more direct support of populations along both sides of the frontline. MSF mobile teams are going out into the bush to ensure assistance to populations cut off from medical care.

Measles vaccination program in Equator (Boende, Befale, Djolu and Bomongo), Katanga (Kasenga, Kilwa and Pweto) and Oriental (Yahuma).

The measles coverage is lower than 40% in DRC resulting in an increasing number of epidemics. MSF will organise measles vaccination campaigns in all health zones where it is present with a minimal coverage of 85% of the children between 6 months and 15 years.