Gender Equality Congo, Democratic Republic of the Project #3923

Save a Mom's Life in the Congo

by International Medical Corps

Project Report | Dec 16, 2015
Final Report and Update on Primary Health Care Support

By Robert Rutherford | Resource Development Officer

Recipients of support draft thank you letter

While International Medical Corps is still very active in the Democratic Republic of Congo this will be the final update for this project. We will continue to address the needs of mothers in the DRC through our primary health care support programs and other specifically focused efforts. Below is a recent update on the ongoing primary health care support we are providing. To continue further supporting International Medical Corps efforts in the DRC please visit our “Empower a Girl in the Congo” project that will continue to highlight our behavior change efforts aimed at addressing gender based violence in the region.

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empowering-girls-in-the-congo/

Update on Primary Health Support

Ntoto is a health area in the Kibua health zone of the Walikale Territory in North Kivu Province of the DRC. The Ntoto health area has a population of about 10,413 inhabitants. Recently Ntoto has been experiencing clashes between two armed groups with major confrontations occurring in May and December 2014 and in June 2015. Whenever there are clashes populations are displaced. During the last confrontation, the health center was looted of all its property including drugs, health care materials and equipment.

The population displaced following the June 2015 clashes is returning to their impoverished and destroyed communities with no means to access basic health care. Because of these challenges, International Medical Corps traveled to this community in particular to conduct an assessment and on the 29^th of September, International Medical Corps organized a mobile clinic in Ntoto. During this mobile clinic, 377 consultations were facilitated (122 Men and 235 Women). At the end of the mobile clinic in this community, representatives of the community addressed a letter to International Medical Corps expressing their thanks for coming to their assistance.

“…the health center was looted during the clashes of June 6, 2015 which caused a loss of 15 mattresses, medicines and some care equipment…

Patients have to pay for care and since many are unable to pay, they are forced to resort to traditional healers. They can’t bring their children to the health center. We thank International Medical Corps for its constant support in our community. Since the confrontations of last December, women were not able to deliver their babies in the health center and we registered 5 deaths due to home deliveries. We thank International Medical Corps for the mobile clinic here in Ntoto and the health care to returning populations”. (Bahati, a 35 year old mother of 5 children)

It is thanks to the generous support of GlobalGiving and other donors that International Medical Corps is able to provide these life-saving interventions and will continue to do so going forward.

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Sep 17, 2015
Transporting Much-Needed Equipment To Walikale Territory

By Robert Rutherford | Resource Development Officer

Volunteers in Ntoto transport medical equipment

Reaching most parts of Walikale territory is difficult, particularly in Kibua health zone, in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). If health centers are hard to reach, people don’t have ready access to specialized services such as obstetric emergency and newborn care – and doctors and nurses don’t have the medicines, medical supplies and equipment they need to deliver quality services to the local population. The most affected areas are those which are only accessible on foot. International Medical Corps assists in mobilizing the communities served by these health centers to help transport medicine, medical supplies and equipment. For those living in the area, these health centers are the only reasonable means of support so it is critical that they are adequately equipped.

Ntoto is one such health facility, located 82 km (or two days’ walk) from the main referral hospital in Kibua town. It serves a population of more than 10,000 people and is the only health center that offers emergency obstetric care including caesarean sections. After being vandalized in December 2014 and again in February of 2015, it was left with no medicines or supplies and the major equipment was either damaged or stolen. International Medical Corps, in coordination with local community partners, conducted an assessment to identify the urgent needs of the hospital. International Medical Corps used that information to purchase everything the referral health center needed to continue to provide lifesaving health care services to the population.

Because of the difficulties in getting the materials to the health center, International Medical Corps sought the help of a United National Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopter to transport more than 350kg of maternity equipment, surgical kits, medicine and supplies to Ntoto. More than 15 community members were at the airstrip to offload the materials and carry them to the health center.

Community leaders continue to advocate with rebel groups to keep away from hospitals and health centers to avoid future vandalism. Since the arrival of the equipment in the health facility, Ntoto has been able to provide successful emergency obstetric care to five pregnant women experiencing complications. During the last conflict, the health facility lost nothing.

Thanks to the generous support of GlobalGiving and other donors, International Medical Corps is able to continue meeting the needs of mothers and soon-to-be mothers in Eastern DRC. This lifesaving support is critically needed in the region and will have a lasting impact on the lives and heath of women and infants.

Supervision of transport from Goma to Ntoto

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Jun 19, 2015
Saving Lives Through Access to Free Obstetric Care

By Robert Rutherford | Resource Development Officer

Newborn baby is received at Karete health center

The presence of armed groups in Eastern DRC has resulted in devastating abuse, violence and looting of resources, leaving families in an unstable economic situation. Displaced populations cannot afford to meet basic needs like primary health care and, due to insecurity in the region, pregnant women can’t access health facilities for the delivery of their children. As mothers and newborns are exposed to the risk of contamination when delivery occurs at home, they are at increased risk for maternal and neonatal mortality. To help ensure that the lives of the mother and the child are safe, International Medical Corps provides clean delivery kits to pregnant women during antenatal care visits.

In the first three months of 2015, close to 2,000 pregnant women received clean delivery kits provided by International Medical Corps in health facilities in Walikale, Kibua and Itebero health zones.

In Karete village, Gisele, who received a clean delivery kit, says “I am happy to receive this clean delivery kit provided by International Medical Corps. I will use it when I will give birth. My baby and I will be healthy and safe. I was wondering who would care for me, I was wondering what I should use when I will give birth. My husband and I are from Masisi and we have no means of paying for essential needs”

To further address barriers to accessing quality reproductive health care, International Medical Corps has put in place a referral system for emergency obstetrics cases in the 30 areas in Walikale, Kibua, Walikale and Itebero health zones. With International Medical Corps’ support, every month approximately 80 pregnant women benefit from free transportation to hospitals and referral health centers along with free obstetric care upon arrival.

“I was referred for complications during delivery in my village Malembe, almost at night. I was transported to Karete reference health center and received free and appropriate medical care. Thanks so much to International Medical Corps and health providers of Karete. I can’t believe my baby and I are safe and are not charged anything for all the attention given in this health center. Thank you so much,” said Yvonne from Malembe.

Gisele receives her delivery kit

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