Fighting malaria and river blindness in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a revolutionary initiative by Fortescue
Today, Fortescue, a global green energy and resource company, is launching a new initiative to combat malaria and river blindness in the Inga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This initiative follows more than two years of work within the communities of the region and aims to strengthen the existing control measures while ensuring the sustainability of the program by the communities themselves.
The program put in place by Fortescue will include measures such as indoor and outdoor spraying to eliminate mosquitoes that carry the malaria disease, as well as a spraying campaign supervised by public health actors to reduce populations of “flies black” harmful. In addition, a training program will be put in place to train local community members in vector control measures, under the supervision of health specialists.
The goal of this initiative is to significantly reduce the prevalence of malaria and river blindness in the Inga region and surrounding villages. According to the World Health Organization, vector control is essential for the prevention of tropical diseases. Complementing existing public health interventions, this initiative will deploy effective control tools such as long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying for targeted vectors.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has significant potential in terms of renewable energy and green industries. Fortescue therefore intends to support and empower local communities in the development of the Green Industries Project in the DRC, which aims to make this region one of the largest sources of renewable energy in the world.
This initiative demonstrates Fortescue’s commitment to using renewable energy and green industries to drive development and support communities in the DRC and Africa. Through close collaboration with Congolese communities and authorities, Fortescue will continue to harness the DRC’s energy potential to improve access to electrification and drive economic growth.
In conclusion, the initiative launched by Fortescue to fight against malaria and river blindness in the Democratic Republic of Congo represents a major advance in the field of public health. By committing to empowering local communities and promoting renewable energy, Fortescue is also contributing to the country’s sustainable economic development.