The current measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the world largest and the biggest recorded in the country for years. It has been spreading out throughout the 26 provinces of DRC affecting more than 297,000 people and causing more than 5,800 deaths by the end of December 2019. Those represent only the reported cases which, according to an Epicentre survey, underestimate the real number of affected people. In 2019, MSF intervened in several part of the countries providing medical care for measles patient and leading measles vaccination campaign.

Since late November 2019, MSF teams started to treat measles patients in Kongo Central Province, located 8 hours driving south-west of Kinshasa. At the end of December they were treating patients in 3 health zones: Matadi, Muanda and Nsona Mpangu and they were planning to open projects in 2 other zones: Seke Banza and Kimpese.

MSF teams face very different challenges in the three locations.
Matadi is a city of approximately 270 000 inhabitants and hosts the biggest port of the country. As a consequence, Matadi streets are full of trucks conveying containers and creating major traffic jams. Muanda is a balnear city cut from the other parts of DRC by sandy roads transformed in muddy roads during rainy season. Some of the health area MSF support are barely inaccessible. Songololo, the city where the teams run the measles treatment center in Nsona Mpangu health zone, is cut from both electricity and water.

In each health zone, the team runs a measles treatment center in collaboration with the MoH. Moreover, the MSF nurse supervisor ensure that the “infirmiers titulaires” in each health zone are aware of the services offered by MSF, that they collect the data necessary to monitor the evolution of the epidemic, they provide kits to treat simple cases of measles and recall that the references for complicated cases must be made to the CTR operated by MSF teams.

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DRC: combatting the world’s biggest measles epidemic

Democratic Republic of Congo is in the grip of the world’s biggest measles epidemic

Phemba and Makiesa have had measles for two weeks

Dr Ousmane Ousseini
MSF doctor in Matadi

Their mother comes from a village 20 km away. The two children were hospitalised for 10 days in two health centres near their village. The treatment was ineffective and, on December 19th, they were admitted here. Both had sepsis. Sadly, we lost one of them, but this little one here we were able to save.

MSF provides assistance in Kongo Central,
a hotspot of the epidemic

Roland Fourcaud
MSF project coordinator in Kongo Central

Children who come as soon as they start showing signs of symptoms can be treated as outpatients, and we give them the necessary medication. We keep an eye on them, but they can go home. With complicated cases, when there are other health issues, like malaria or malnutrition, there can be respiratory problems and they have to be hospitalised immediately.

The epidemic has caused over 6,000 deaths since January 2019
310,000 people have contracted the disease

The economy’s doing ok, but people are very poor. Health districts are vast, and outlying rural areas can be 100 km, 150 km from the referral hospital. And, during the rainy season when roads are mired in mud, it’s hard getting around on foot or motorbike.

Bernisse
Miradie, Bénédicte and Pacifique’s mother

With three children, I don’t know how I can get treatment for them. How much could it cost? What could I sell to pay for it? Where could I have gone with three children?
Back home I heard kids with measles were being treated for free in Songololo. I went to the centre, and they examined the children.

MSF teams treat patients and provide drugs free of charge
and monitor the epidemic

Roland Fourcaud
MSF project coordinator in Kongo Central

MSF sets up measles treatment centres where children are treated and hospitalised for free. We insist on the fact that treatment and transport cost nothing.

To give you an idea, each health zone is roughly the same size as a French department, so distances can be substantial. Of course, we work with Ministry staff and community workers in villages who help with screening people for measles.

In 2019, MSF treated over 50,000 patients in DRC and vaccinated 816,000 children against measles

To combat the epidemic, MSF teams provide assistance in 10 of DRC’s provinces