Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.miragenews.com/who-warns-eastern-dr-congos-health-system-at-1038758/
01 Jul 2023 2:32am AEST
WHO Warns Eastern DR Congo's Health System at Breaking Point
The United Nations
Increased violence, natural disasters and disease outbreaks have fueled a deteriorating health situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a senior official with the World Health Organization warned on Friday.
Speaking from Kinshasa, Dr. Jorge Castilla, WHO's Senior Emergency Officer, told journalists at the regular briefing in Geneva there had been a major increase in displacement due to ongoing violence fueled by armed groups, leaving around 7.4 million in need of health assistance.
Disease and displacement
Since March 2022, almost three million people have been forced from their homes in the eastern part of the country, in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces.
Dr. Castilla said many on the move had been attacked repeatedly. In the Goma area, "when they move, also diseases move with them. Cholera has spread through the area, and it is now prevalent with 25,000 cases. The area where they arrived has the highest number."
The country's health system is under huge pressure due to overlapping outbreaks of COVID-19, measles, polio, mpox. Yellow fever, cholera and malaria are on the rise due to recurrent natural disasters and lack of access to safe water and sanitation for those on the move, said WHO...
01 Jul 2023 2:32am AEST
WHO Warns Eastern DR Congo's Health System at Breaking Point
The United Nations
Increased violence, natural disasters and disease outbreaks have fueled a deteriorating health situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a senior official with the World Health Organization warned on Friday.
Speaking from Kinshasa, Dr. Jorge Castilla, WHO's Senior Emergency Officer, told journalists at the regular briefing in Geneva there had been a major increase in displacement due to ongoing violence fueled by armed groups, leaving around 7.4 million in need of health assistance.
Disease and displacement
Since March 2022, almost three million people have been forced from their homes in the eastern part of the country, in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces.
Dr. Castilla said many on the move had been attacked repeatedly. In the Goma area, "when they move, also diseases move with them. Cholera has spread through the area, and it is now prevalent with 25,000 cases. The area where they arrived has the highest number."
The country's health system is under huge pressure due to overlapping outbreaks of COVID-19, measles, polio, mpox. Yellow fever, cholera and malaria are on the rise due to recurrent natural disasters and lack of access to safe water and sanitation for those on the move, said WHO...