Mbuji- Mayi, one of the main cities of DRC, with more than 5 million inhabitants and a population density of 37,260 people for Km², is not new to cholera outbreaks. Especially during the dry season (May-September), access to drinkable water becomes even more challenging for a big part of the population, who then has as only option to supply at the city’s rivers (Muya, Kanshi, Lubilanji and Nzaba), which increase sharply the risk of contracting the disease.

While the city experienced already an outbreak in March 2018, afterwards the situation stabilized again, even if some few cases were still present, but any death reported. By then, MSF intervened with a first emergency response. Nevertheless, a second epidemic struck the city again at the beginning of June 2018, with 180 people affected and 42 deaths in only one week (Week 23- 24), making it an extremely worrying epidemic scenario.

Face with the situation, the MSF Congo Emergency Pool (PUC) set up again an emergency response. Teams arrived in the field on June 16th, some days after the beginning of the current epidemic, and organized 3 cholera centres to treat patients from the most affected areas of the city (390 patients have been treated so far). Three hydration points will also be operational in the next week. MSF is responsible for all case management in those structures, health promotion activities in four out of the ten city districts, ambulance services and epidemiological surveillance.