Tuesday, October 07, 2008

North Kivu Facts Sheet - MSF

MSF ACTIVITIES IN NORTH KIVU - FACTSHEET

MSF provides primary and secondary healthcare in North Kivu in and around Rutshuru, Masisi, and Lubero districts. MSF supports hospitals in Rutshuru, Mweso, Masisi and Kitchanga as well as surrounding health centres, and runs a network of mobile clinics. MSF teams also provide medical care to victims of violent trauma and of sexual violence and treats children for malnutrition. In some areas MSF has opened new health posts to provide care for the increasing number of people fleeing the violence. Mobile teams are doing assessments and providing medical assistance in new areas, including Ngungu in North Kivu and Minova, in South Kivu. MSF teams are also monitoring the situation in the camps to prevent outbreaks. MSF teams respond to potential cholera epidemics and carry out vaccination campaigns against measles. MSF has been continuously present in the North Kivu since 1981.

RUTSHURU DISTRICT

Rutshuru town area

MSF has been working in the Rutshuru reference hospital since August 2005 providing secondary health care, including surgical, medical, paediatric care and specialised care to victims of sexual violence. The hospital capacity has been increased to 220 beds. The number of surgical interventions per day during the first nine months of the year has increased in comparison with previous years to an average of 12 per day (3 in 2006). Between January and September, MSF teams have performed 2,777 surgical interventions and 7,359 emergency room consultations. In June, 832 patients have been admitted to hospital. Between January and June, an average of 87 victims of sexual violence have been treated each month. Between January and September, MSF has treated 158 war wounded at the Rutshuru hospital; 36 in September alone. Between January and September, MSF has also treated 1,469 people for cholera.

In Nyanzale, MSF conducted 2,320 consultations in June. From January until June, MSF treated more than 1,300 malnourished children (776 treated in ambulatories and 585 hospitalised). Between January and June, an average of 450 victims of sexual violence have been treated each month.

In Kabizo, MSF is normally conducting medical consultations (1,590 in June), and hospitalises IDPs and residents in a 16-bed centre. MSF teams also treat victims of sexual violence and malnourished children.

LUBERO DISTRICT

In Kayna and Kanyabayonga, MSF is providing assistance to thousands of people fleeing the conflict since the 20th of September. During the first ten days of activity, MSF teams already treated 140 victims of sexual violence and 15 war wounded.

With thousands of displaced persons constantly on the move, from all these sites, MSF also supports a network of health centres, has set up a system of mobile clinics and has regularly conducted measles vaccination.



MASISI DISTRICT

Masisi town area

Since August last year, MSF has been supporting the hospital in Masisi, whose capacity has been increased from 70 to 120 beds. MSF medical teams provide secondary healthcare in the hospital, including life-saving surgery, and support a health centre in town, where they provide primary healthcare. MSF has also set up a 25-bed structure that welcomes pregnant women before they give birth.

To respond to the needs of the displaced population in the area, MSF has set up a system of four mobile clinics with an adequate referral system. MSF raises awareness about the need to provide medical and psychological care to victims of sexual violence in seven locations.

During the month of September, 55 victims of sexual violence have been treated. During the same month, MSF also treated 25 people for violent trauma.

Mweso and Kitchanga area

MSF supports the St. Benoit hospital in Kitchanga since 2007, and the hospital in Mweso since April 2008.

MSF also supports a network of health centres and, since January of this year, has significantly extended the programme to provide assistance to people affected by the conflict in the Masisi districts. MSF supports health centres in Kirolirwe, Bukama, Kachuga and Kalembe since 2007. Since January 2008, MSF supports the health centre in Pinga and Mpeti and, since April, Kanyatsi. Mobile clinics go weekly to Malemo and Busihe.

During the first eight months of the year, 2,703 people have been hospitalised, 2,069 women have given birth and 11,698 women have received antenatal care. MSF medical teams have conducted 94,094 external consultations (30,239 for children under 5 years), and have treated 18,103 cases of malaria. MSF surgical teams have conducted 384 operations, 306 of them urgent. MSF has also treated 2,354 malnourished children, and 377 have been hospitalized.

GOMA DISTRICT

Tens of thousands of people are thought to be living in camps outside Goma, with several thousand more finding accommodation with host families. MSF is working with the Ministry of Health to treat and contain cholera. Cholera is endemic in DRC and MSF teams will normally see a number of cases in North Kivu every year. MSF has treated 1,480 cases of cholera from January until September.

MSF has 62 international staff and 716 national staff currently working in North Kivu.
MSF has been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1981.

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