**Pregnant displaced women seeking medical care in Nyiragongo camps**
The precarious situation of pregnant displaced women in camps in Nyiragongo territory raises growing concerns about their access to adequate medical care. The NGO Action for Civil Protection and Development APROCID is sounding the alarm, calling on the authorities to find rapid solutions to respond to this problem.
At the heart of this humanitarian crisis, these pregnant women are forced to travel kilometers on foot to reach the nearest health center, often far from displaced people’s sites. Thus, the Kanyaruchinya health center becomes their only point of access to medical care, even if it means spending the night nearby to benefit from a crucial antenatal consultation.
Faced with these difficult conditions, many women find themselves unable to follow regular medical monitoring, thus exposing them to increased risks of complications during pregnancy, such as miscarriages or maternal deaths. Life in the displaced persons camps, already precarious, becomes more complicated for these women waiting for a happy event.
However, the problem is not limited to pregnant women. Indeed, APROCID also highlights cases of death due to lack of medical care among displaced children and elderly people. These vulnerable individuals are the first victims of this humanitarian crisis, sometimes dying alone in precarious shelters due to lack of adequate care.
Faced with these challenges, it is imperative that local authorities and humanitarian organizations work closely together to guarantee equitable and unconditional access to health care for all displaced people. It is essential to establish mobile medical devices, improve accessibility to health centers and strengthen awareness programs on the importance of prenatal and postnatal care.
In conclusion, the situation of pregnant displaced women in the Nyiragongo camps is alarming and requires urgent action to avoid avoidable human tragedies. It is essential to place the health of displaced populations at the heart of priorities and to put in place concrete measures to guarantee dignified and secure living conditions for all.