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Post-election responsibilities for public health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nature Medicine (2024)Cite this article

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Since gaining independence in 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has faced a complicated series of challenges marked by armed conflict, political instability and economic hardships. Tensions in the DRC are on an escalating trajectory as the Congolese army and its allied militias battle with the March 23 Movement group in North and South Kivu. Attempts to restore peace through the Nairobi and Luanda Processes have stalled, and the United Nations has expressed concerns over escalating regional conflict since the controversial presidential election in December 20231.

Amid the ongoing turmoil in the DRC lies a severe humanitarian crisis. Since 1 October 2023, United Nations agencies have reported more than 3,000 human rights violations in the country, including arbitrary civilian murders, abductions, sexual violence towards women and forcible recruitment of children into armed groups. In addition, 25.8 million DRC citizens face food insecurity amid widespread famine, and more than 450,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in the past two months alone. Disease outbreaks compound the health crisis, with more than 30,000 cases of cholera being reported in the first few months of 2023, and the recent outbreak2 of a lethal clade I mpox virus that has infected more than 500 people as of 22 November 2023.

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References

  1. Center for Preventative Action. https://go.nature.com/3TUP6xC (accessed 28 November 2023).

  2. World Health Organization. https://go.nature.com/49MT00E (accessed 28 November 2023).

  3. The UN Refugee Agency. https://go.nature.com/49eeDXg (accessed 28 November 2023).

  4. Lieber, W. C. et al. Pathog.Glob. Health https://doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2023.2272363 (2023).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Faraan O. Rahim, William C. Lieber & Julian T. Hertz

  2. Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Julian T. Hertz

  3. University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Bruce Shinga Wembulua

  4. Rutshuru General Hospital, Rutshuru, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Bruce Shinga Wembulua

  5. Department of Medicine, University of Goma, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Patrick A. Ndeba

  6. Provincial Public Health Laboratory of North Kivu AMI-LABO, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Patrick A. Ndeba

  7. Kintambo General Reference Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Richard M. Lukelwa

  8. Kinshsa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Richard M. Lukelwa

Authors
  1. Faraan O. Rahim
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  2. William C. Lieber
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  3. Julian T. Hertz
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  4. Bruce Shinga Wembulua
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  5. Patrick A. Ndeba
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  6. Richard M. Lukelwa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Faraan O. Rahim.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Rahim, F.O., Lieber, W.C., Hertz, J.T. et al. Post-election responsibilities for public health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nat Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02932-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02932-9

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