The impact of violence against health care on the health of children and mothers
A case study in 3 health zones in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Abstract
The impact of violence against health care on the health of children and mothers report highlights the severe impacts of attacks on health care facilities documented globally in 2022, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where significant violence has disrupted access to medical services. In particular, the provinces of North and South Kivu were highlighted as being amongst the most affected areas. The study aimed to measure how these attacks affected health care accessibility for pregnant women and children under 5, employing a mixed-methods approach that included case studies from Kyondo, Fizi, and Walungu. These locations were chosen based on the severity of the health care centre attacks during 2023, with data gathered through interviews, focus groups, and health system analyses in early 2023.
The findings revealed that these violent events led to decreased operation or complete shutdowns of health facilities for up to 4 weeks due to resource depletion and heightened safety fears, causing a significant drop in health care access. The attacks specifically resulted in a drastic reduction in women attending maternal health services, with childbirth services suffering greatly because they often occur at night. Many women opted to either travel long distances for safer facilities or undertake risky home births to avoid the danger at local centres. This situation highlights a critical need for increased protection and support for health care services in conflict-affected regions to ensure vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, can access the essential medical care they need.
This report is part of the Researching the Impact of Attacks on Healthcare (RIAH) programme.
Citation
Catholic University of Bukavu Regional School of Public Health, International Rescue Committee, Researching the Impact of Attacks against Healthcare (RIAH) and Insecurity Insight. ‘The impact of violence against health care on the health of children and mothers’ April 2024
Links
The impact of violence against health care on the health of children and mothers