Rehabilitation of basic health care
Project description
Title: Rehabilitation of basic health care
Commissioned by: Ministry of Health
Financier: World Bank
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Health
Overall term: 2007 to 2011
Context
During the thirty-year Mobutu dictatorship, very little was invested in the social infrastructure of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many institutions collapsed, including medical organisations. During the civil war between 1996 and 2002, other health facilities were destroyed. As a consequence of the severe damage to the health system, most Congolese still have no access to adequate basic health care. The incidence of infant and child mortality is very high; malaria, HIV and diarrhoeic illnesses are on the increase.
Objective
The Congolese population has access to basic health care.
Approach
GIZ International Services (GIZ IS) supports the Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in restoring basic health care in the districts of South Maniema and Lualaba. The measures comprise:
- Rebuilding 42 health centres
- Equipping the health centres with transportation facilities, IT and communications equipment and medical instruments
- Distribution of mosquito nets to prevent malaria
- Procurement of high-quality medication
- Improving structures for distributing medication
- Providing training and bonus payments for local staff
GIZ IS is responsible for overall project management.
Results achieved so far
About two million people living in South Maniema and Lualaba now have access to basic health care, with the numbers increasing from 13% to 35% in Lualaba, and from 23% to 28% in Maniema. The number of births taking place under supervision of medical personnel has been raised from just under half to 85% in South Maniema and in Lualaba from 38% to 84%.
