The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s decision to no longer fund malaria efforts in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), would have deadly consequences, said Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity in DRC, including in North Kivu. This region is also currently battling an Ebola disease outbreak, which is severely straining its health system and services.
“The Global Fund has been a real lifeline for people exposed to malaria, providing most of the available treatments in North Kivu,” said Stéphane Doyon, MSF program manager. “If it stops supporting the province in malaria prevention and treatment, the situation will become catastrophic. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease. In 2026, it is unacceptable that people continue to die or develop severe forms of the disease because they lack access to prevention measures, diagnosis, and basic treatments.”
This decision would negatively affect people in North Kivu for years
This decision comes amid the Global Fund’s eighth round of grants (GC8), which covers funding for three years (2027–2029) and for which applications must be submitted by the end of July. This process allocates resources to countries to fight malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis (TB) based on national priorities. Its support can significantly increase people’s access to health care services in settings with high burdens of these diseases.
The Global Fund and authorities in Kinshasa must fully reintegrate North Kivu into GC8’s malaria programming and resource allocation. Additionally, Congolese health authorities must ensure that any resources made available are distributed equitably, based on communities' vulnerability and disease burden.
Malaria prevention is especially critical amid Ebola disease outbreak
Ensuring people have access to malaria prevention and treatment is especially critical during Ebola disease outbreaks. The similarity between the early symptoms of malaria and those of Ebola can complicate diagnosis and delay the initiation of appropriate treatment, which can lead to worse outcomes for patients and further increase the strain on health care systems that are already under significant pressure.
This uncertainly around funding is unfolding against the backdrop of an increasingly difficult health situation in North Kivu, marked by persistent malnutrition and recurrent outbreaks of preventable diseases. Malnutrition remains a growing concern across the province and is consistently observed in many MSF-supported health structures. When combined with malaria, malnutrition significantly increases the risk of severe illness and death, particularly among children.
Additionally, conflict and displacement in North Kivu are fueling the prevalence of malaria in this province. Forced to flee their homes due to fighting between armed groups allied with the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 — which largely controls the province — many people are seeking refuge in forests or other remote areas, where the risk of exposure to malaria is particularly high and access to health care remains very limited.
In 2025, in three of the health zones in North Kivu where MSF implements programs in health centers and hospitals run by the Ministry of Health (Bambo, Kibirizi, and Rutshuru), malaria accounted for between 48 percent and 58 percent of consultations. MSF, the Ministry of Health, and its partners treated over 255,000 simple cases and more than 26,000 severe cases in these areas. Overall, more than 165,560 cases were treated in health structures supported by MSF.
More support is needed for malaria services, not less
Basic malaria prevention measures have already been scaled back in some areas. In areas the Global Fund supports, mosquito nets have not been distributed since June 2023. In 2025, no malaria control supplies reached North Kivu between July and December due to access issues.
Faced with these recurring shortages, MSF has had to purchase and supply treatments and screening tests to fill the gaps in different health centers. In 2025, MSF provided 53 percent of treatments for uncomplicated malaria and 35 percent of treatments for severe malaria in health structures where MSF, the Ministry of Health, or partners work in the Kibirizi, Bambo, and Rutshuru health zones. This situation is unsustainable in terms of long-term prevention and control of the disease across the vast province of North Kivu.
“North Kivu is one of the provinces hardest hit by armed conflict,” Doyon said. “Repeated population displacements, food insecurity, and barriers to accessing care create conditions that increase both exposure to malaria and the risk of developing a severe form of the disease.”
