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The Oriental Province has long experienced waves of instability,
as the ongoing conflicts in Ituri District attest to. In Ituri district,
violence perpetrated by various and numerous armed actors has a huge impact
on civilians, who are subjected to robberies, murders, massacres, kidnappings,
rapes and torture.
KISANGANI: Treating and preventing STIs and assisting victims
of sexual violence
The MSF clinic in Karibu provides more than 1,500 medical consultations
per month. Located in the centre of Kisangani, clinical activities focus
on the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the medical
and psychosocial care of victims of sexual violence.
BUNIA: Healthcare and war surgery in the city's only functioning
hospital
In April 2003, when armed militias fought brutally for control of the
city of Bunia, MSF opened an emergency surgical facility on the outskirts
of town. The teams then also set up an independent hospital – the
‘Bon Marché’ - as well as two health centres located
in the extreme south and north of the city. MSF cares for the war wounded
and ensures access to medical and surgical care for all communities, on
an impartial basis. A third of the surgical interventions carried out
are related to ongoing violence.
Chronic emergencies such as cholera outbreaks in the Ituri district are
frequently dealt with by MSF, which has emergency response stocks prepared.
MSF also supports two health posts.
Outside Bunia, insecurity prevails. Two MSF staff were kidnapped in June
2005, forcing MSF to suspend its activities in the area around the city.
This incident illustrated the extent to which insecurity can weaken the
aid response.
ISANGI: Treating sleeping sickness
In March 2004 MSF started a specialised sleeping sickness program in Isangi.
The objective is to decrease the number of cases of sleeping sickness
by ensuring good medical management and to reduce transmission by combating
the vector that spreads the disease: the tse-tse fly. MSF is also involved
in clinical research on improving treatment for the advanced stages of
the disease.
DUNGU: Access to healthcare for a neglected population and management
of HIV/AIDS
Since June 2001, MSF has been working in the isolated and abandoned town
of Dungu, in the Haut Uele district. In close collaboration with the General
Reference Hospital, MSF responds to emergencies and ensures that free
care is accessible to the most vulnerable people. The organisation also
trains Congolese health staff in managing sleeping sickness and HIV/AIDS;
applying universal precautions; administering drugs; and managing human
resources. Since July 2005, MSF has also been caring for patients with
HIV/AIDS in the hospital. |
