Only 20% of the population in Congo have access to healthcare. Medical facilities are severely limited and medical materials are in short supply. An adequate supply of prescription or over-the-counter drugs in local stores or pharmacies is also generally not available. Payment for any medical services is expected in cash in Congo, in advance of treatment. Many of the existing public health centres are non-functioning and inaccessible, due to the ongoing political insecurity, lack of road connectivity and appropriate social infrastructures. Communities are forced to rely on traditional medicine, risking their lives.

Poor sanitary conditions in rural areas and lack of potable water cause a high rate of infant mortality. Many other health problems, including malaria, cholera and HIV/AIDS, lack of food and proper water supplies, as well as lack of trained personnel continue to negatively impact Uvira’s development of an efficient healthcare system.

In a region that has seen so much misery and so many conflicts, women and children are often the greatest victims. The atrocious use of rape as a weapon of war, which this region has seen too much of, has resulted in large numbers of children born of rape. These children are frequently excluded from full participation in their family and community.

General poverty, and the lack of adequate health and education services mean that thousands of children are malnourished and without access to healthcare and schooling. The number of orphans is very high, and often these children have no choice but to live unsafe lives on the streets, where they risk falling victims to violence and sexual abuse.