Free maternity program in the DRC: a major step forward for women’s health
On Tuesday, September 5, the Congolese Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, launched a program aimed at free maternity in more than 320 health centers and 50 general reference hospitals in Kinshasa. This initiative aims to end situations where women were held hostage due to the inability to pay maternity fees.
According to the Minister of Public Health, Samuel-Roger Kamba, this program should contribute to reducing the high rates of maternal and infant mortality in the Congolese capital. He also recommended that the population use the code *151# on their mobile phone to access the list of health establishments included in this program.
This announcement was welcomed by the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the DRC, Dr. Boureima Sambo, who called on partners to support this initiative. He also stressed the importance of the work of health providers to ensure quality care for pregnant women.
President Tshisekedi affirmed that this program of free maternity would be gradually extended to other provinces of the country. The aim is to improve the living and working conditions of health providers, as well as to ensure continuity of care, referrals and counter-referrals, transparency and accountability.
This initiative is part of the government’s efforts to guarantee access to quality health care for all Congolese, especially pregnant women and young mothers. It marks a major step forward in the field of maternal health in the DRC and is an important step towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in terms of health and well-being.
In conclusion, the free maternity program in the DRC is a positive measure that aims to save lives and improve women’s health. It is essential to continue to support such initiatives and to promote universal access to quality maternal health care.