At the crossroads between progress and distress, a silent tragedy is playing out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a reality difficult to accept: the premature and avoidable mortality of thousands of infants. Despite advances in various areas of health, infant mortality remains a relentless scourge that continues to hit the most vulnerable Congolese families hard.
The figures don’t lie: the DRC has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, with nearly 84 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the World Health Organization. The causes of these deaths are multiple and often attributed to preventable factors such as malnutrition, infectious diseases, complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, as well as lack of access to quality health care.
However, despite this alarming situation, the Minister of Health and Prevention, Samuel-Roger Kamba Mutamba, is struggling to establish an effective national health policy to protect the health and lives of infants. Health infrastructure is often failing, medical staff are insufficiently trained and equipped, and prevention and care programs are lacking. The most disadvantaged families are the most affected by this failing health system, living in constant fear of losing a child.
Faced with this health emergency, it is imperative that concrete and immediate measures are taken to stem infant mortality in the DRC. It is crucial to invest in training and equipping health workers, strengthening local health infrastructure, raising community awareness of the importance of pre- and postnatal care, and ensuring equitable access to health services. of quality for all the children of the country.
Every life of a Congolese infant counts and deserves to be preserved. It is essential that the DRC make children’s health an indisputable national priority to break this circle of suffering and mourning which too often hits Congolese families. The future of a nation rests on the protection and well-being of its children, and it is everyone’s responsibility to guarantee a brighter future for the future generations of the DRC.
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