Strengthening health services in the provinces of South Kivu and Kwango

Project description

Title: Strengthening of health services in South Kivu and Kwango
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lead executing agency: Ministère de la Santé Publique
Overall term: 2005 to 2016

Context

In most parts of the country, the population of DR Congo is exposed to considerable health risks. Besides deficits in the treatment and prevention of widespread diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, sleeping sickness and other poverty-related diseases, few services are available for family planning, sexual and reproductive health, or HIV/AIDS. Although there is extensive international support for the health sector, maternal and infant mortality rates in the country are still among the highest in Africa. The Congolese Ministry of Health has devised a health development plan, to be put into effect between 2012 and 2015.

Around 6.4 million people live in the regions of South Kivu and Kwango. Most of them are poor and many are women and children below the age of five. There are also women, men and children who are the victims of sexual violence, and people living with HIV.

Objective

In selected health districts in the provinces of Kwango and South Kivu, the people have access to health services of improved quality.

Approach

The project team is providing the Ministry of Health with financial and technical support as it puts its health development plan into effect. While doing so, the partners want to improve the quality of available health services, strengthen the management and oversight functions of the directorate of primary health structures, and coordinate the activities of all those holding positions of responsibility in the health sector. The work of the project is concentrated on the regions of South Kivu and Kwango.

The project organises training measures on management and organisational development for the managers and staff of the directorate of primary health structures, as well as the respective provincial governments. With the know-how they acquire, these employees can optimise the primary health centres and thus improve the quality of services they offer.