The campaign to offer sexual and reproductive health, including safe abortion, organized by the NGO IPAS, ended on May 11th. This series of actions, the objective of which was to raise awareness among the displaced population of the Lac Vert district, Buhimba health area in Goma, lasted a month during which the women received dignity kits made up of soap, underwear , and other hygienic products. More than two thousand people benefited from reproductive health care during this mobile campaign, including consultations on sexually transmitted infections, gender-based violence, and safe abortions in accordance with the prescriptions of the Maputo protocol.
The assistance provided by the NGO IPAS has been welcomed by the displaced women, as the campaign has met their concerns and met some of their needs. Thus, this month of awareness has contributed to creating a space for dialogue in couples to discuss the future of each and preserve their sexual rights. According to Doctor Célestin Iyango of the NGO IPAS, the beneficiaries of this campaign are those women who, victims of sexual violence and subject to very advanced vulnerability, need access to safe abortions.
In 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo published the Maputo Protocol which encourages safe abortions for displaced women victims of sexual violence. And the installation of this mobile reproductive health program in a camp for displaced people in Goma is further proof that the country remains committed to the implementation of this protocol despite the obstacles encountered on the ground.
In short, this action by IPAS in favor of sexual and reproductive health in the DRC, with particular emphasis on displaced women, is a commendable contribution to improving the health of populations in conflict zones.