Community Health System Strengthening in Kasai, DR Congo

The project aims to improve the health status of women, men, girls and boys affected by NTDs, including Leprosy in 4 targeted villages in Kasai: Bangombe, Bulape, Kanyinganyinga and Luebo-Mishonyi.

CONTEXT

Sociodemographic data:

Kasai Province in DRC is home to about 3.2 million people, many of whom live in hard-to-reach communities where extreme poverty is common. According to the 2017 revision of the World Population Prospects the DRC total population was 78,736,153 in 2016, compared to only 12,184,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 46.3% .

Health and socio political situation:

Since the country's independence in 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced a political situation characterized by great instability. National Health Policy adopted in 2001, focuses on health care primary. The operational unit for implementing is the health zone. Health service funding is essentially extroverted. Given the structure of international aid, the largest part is for the selective control of the disease, leaving health zones with fewer resources.

PROJECT

General objective of the project:

To strengthen the local health system to efficiently manage cases of NTDs, including leprosy.

Specific goal:

Improve access to NTDs including leprosy quality health care for women, men and children in 4 targeted villages Bangombe, Bulape, Kanyinganyinga and Luebo Mishonyi in Kasai.

Summary of project activities:

• Facilitate trainings for of 24 health center nurses and 4 health zones management team to diagnose, treat, quality data collection.

• Health division member, 4 health zone management team members and 8 health center nurse map NTDs no MDA in these 4 health centers.

• Monitoring and supervision support for disease and disability management in 4 health centers (CCO: 20 days per year, health division: 40 days per year, health zone: 20 days per year, TLM Kasai staff: 40 days per year). Health centers team participate to monthly monitoring meeting at health zone central office (4 nurses).

• Health centers team participate to monthly monitoring meeting at health zone central office (4 nurses).

• The Leprosy Mission supply health centers, through health zone central office, anti-reaction and deworming drugs (forfeit).

• Health division train 8 health zone management team on the management of anti-reaction and deworming drugs (2 nurses supervisors, 2 medical chief of zone, 2 hospital director and 2 health zone pharmacist).

• Develop, produce and disseminate awareness tools in collaboration with committee members and leprosy and NTDs programs (100 t-shirts, 100 flyers, 4 banners).

• Facilitate training of 20 health committees, 20 community leaders and 40 community health workers to identify and refer leprosy and NTDs cases to health centers.

• Health committees and community leaders undertake 12 awareness campaigns quarterly on leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.

• Health professionals, health committees and community leaders undertake 4 active detection campaigns (active case finding).

BENEFICIARIES

• Direct beneficiaries:

Number of direct beneficiaries: 1.038 women, men, girls and boys.
Of those, number of women: 359
Of those, number of children (< 15 years): 335

• Indirect beneficiaries:
Number of indirect beneficiaries: 38.875 Inhabitants (general population)
Of those, number of women: 9.863
Of those, number of children (< 15 years): 19.535 children