Health: basic care for the population

Background information

Kwango Province, one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is located in the southwest of the country on the border with Angola. The villages can only be reached via poorly maintained sand roads and tracks. The region is therefore affected by widespread poverty. Very few families are able to access the expensive health services in the urban centers. The majority rely on the simple outpatient clinics and health centers, most of which are supported by church institutions in Congo. The health service of the partner church CEK is active in the district of Kasongo-Lunda, where it works closely with the state health authorities. The population in the Kwango suffers mainly from four health problems: Malaria, respiratory diseases, diarrhea and malnutrition. Education and prevention are important measures to curb these diseases.

Project goals

The CEK health service offers affordable treatment to people in hard-to-reach regions of Kwango Province, promotes the availability of medicines and carries out important prevention work. In addition, the project improves the infrastructure of health facilities and provides further training for medical staff.

Target group

The CEK health service is open to everyone. Its health facilities provide access to basic medical care for around 100,000 people. More than 90 percent of the regional population is affected by poverty.

Activities

Ensuring access to primary health care for about 100,000 people:

• Ensuring the supply of medicines (through purchasing and expansion of production)
• Renewal and improvement of infrastructure of health facilities; this includes a water supply system for the village of Matamba-Solo, toilets and showers for the hospitals, and solar panels.
• Further training of the staff to improve the quality of medical services

Strengthening preventive medicine to combat common diseases and malnutrition:

• Vaccinations of women and children
• Preschool examinations, prenatal and postnatal examinations
• Training of health animators from the different communities and health centers on issues related to diseases and malnutrition and their prevention.
• Awareness campaigns in the field of malaria and HIV-AIDS, diarrheal diseases and other communicable diseases.
• Psychological support

Collaboration with schools:

• Training of teachers in sexuality education and training of school children as multipliers in this area.

Project progress

In total, the health centers can ensure access to basic medical care for 100,000 people. All 20 facilities of the project are functioning. The medication purchases financed by Mission 21 were realized as planned in 2023 and 2024, and the project's own medication production was also continued. The hospital in Wamba Luadi received a new solar system. This means that the hospital's equipment, which had not been working for years due to a lack of electricity, can be put back into operation.

Toilets and showers were also added to the hospital in Kisiama. In August 2023, eleven CEK doctors received further training to pass on what they have learned as multipliers.

The project car acquired in 2022 will enable the project manager to inspect the healthcare facilities again as planned.