A follow-up examination for a newborn in the DR Congo

Well looked after right from the start!

Follow-up examination of newborns in the DR Congo

Guilaine, 30, was six months pregnant when she arrived on foot with her three children at the Mugunga refugee camp near Goma. Her home region in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the scene of violent conflicts between the military and various rebel groups in recent years. Guilaine's little son was born in the Johanniter health center in February. Like all children, Guilaine's son will be vaccinated immediately and his development will be monitored by the Johanniter doctors and midwives.

need

Medical aid for children in the DR Congo.

activity

Newborn children are examined and vaccinated at a Johanniter health station.

Measurable performance

Number of children who received medical care immediately after birth.

Result

Possible illnesses, long-term consequences due to complications and infant deaths are prevented and the children grow up healthy.

Systemically relevant impact

Child mortality is decreasing and the medical infrastructure for the population is improving.

background

For more than a decade, fighting between various armed groups has shaken the east of the DR Congo. This often leads to displacement and targeted attacks on the population. According to the United Nations, more than a million people are refugees in their own country. The security situation is now relatively stable again. However, many people still have no access to medical care. This means that pregnant women and small children in particular are at high risk of illness, complications and child deaths. The infant mortality rate for children under one year of age in the DR Congo is still 7%.

The good deed

With the follow-up examination in one of the health facilities, the Johanniter enable newborn children to have a healthy start in life.

AboutDemocratic Republic of Congo

Kinshasa

Capital city

67 513 700

Population

437 USD

Gross domestic product per capita per year

186

Human Development Index

In Central Africa, at the equator, lies the second largest country on the continent: the Democratic Republic of Congo. 60% of the country is taken up by the Congo Basin, a vast plain bordered in all directions by mountain ranges up to 1,000 metres high.

About the organization and further information

organization

Johanniter Accident Assistance eV

Transparent Civil Society Initiative, DZI Donation Seal

Further links

www.johanniter.de