The last confirmed wild poliovirus (WPV) case in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had paralysis onset in December 2011 (1). DRC has had cases of vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) documented since 2004 (Table 1) (1-6). After an outbreak of 30 circulating VDPV type 2 (cVDPV2) cases during 2011-2012, only five VDPV2 cases were reported during 2013-2016 (Table 1) (1-6). VDPVs can emerge fr...

INTRODUCTION Countries in the West and Central African regions struggle to offer quality HIV care at scale, despite HIV prevalence being relatively low. In these challenging operating environments, basic health care needs are multiple, systems are highly fragile and conflict disrupts health care. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working to integrate HIV care in basic health services in s...

OBJECTIVES To quantify the potential impact of mass rape on HIV incidence in seven conflict-afflicted countries (CACs), with severe HIV epidemics, in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN Uncertainty analysis of a risk equation model. METHODS A mathematical model was used to evaluate the potential impact of mass rape on increasing HIV incidence in women and girls in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Con...

Background Efficient viral load testing is needed for hepatitis C (HCV) surveillance and diagnosis. HCV viral load testing using dried blood spots (DBSs), made with a single drop of finger-prick whole blood on filter paper, is a promising alternative to traditional serum- or plasma-based approaches. Methods We adapted the Abbott Molecular m2000 instrument for high-throughput HCV viremia testi...

In Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria one country's major public health issues and responsible for death tens thousands people every year in both rural urban environments. Antimalarial drugs are commonly used but some recorded cases drug resistance obstacle to controlling spread malaria. It therefore essential identify n...

Agriculture plays a prominent role in the economy of Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) and has considerable production potential. One most populous poorest provinces DRC is South Kivu, where many people live below poverty line. This paper aimed to understand agricultural development’s reducing maintaining rural households’ food security DRC. study developed questionnaire evaluate household identi...

Determining priority areas for conservation activities in the forests of the Congo Basin is increasingly important in the face of advancing human pressures and deforestation. Since 2004, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has led conservation and land-use planning activities in the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba (MLW) Landscape located in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We identified ...

BACKGROUND The child mortality rate is a good indicator of development. High levels of infectious diseases and high child mortality make the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) one of the most challenging environments for health development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Recent conflicts in the eastern part of the country and bad governance have compounded the problem. This study aimed to examine ...

BACKGROUND The epidemic of gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has garnered popular media attention, but is incompletely described in the medical literature to date. In particular, the relative importance of militarized compared to civilian rape and the impact on vulnerable populations merits further study. We describe a retrospective case series of sexual abuse ...

Kinshasa-Brazzaville, currently the third largest urban agglomeration in Africa, is predicted to become Africa’s largest, and the world’s 11th largest, city by 2025. With an international border running right through it, this regional hub of economic activity is the obvious focal point for cross-border exchanges between the two Congos. Using satellite images of night lights, Figure 1 illustrate...