The territory of Walikale, 135km from Goma the provincial capital of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is home to around 700,000 people. Walikale-centre, located on the banks of the Lowa river, is the main village of this 23,000 km2 territory, and is home to the Walikale general reference hospital, supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Every month, around 30 women with high-risk pregnancies, many from remote or isolated villages without proper healthcare, come to give birth in the “Village d’Accueil” at Walikalel hospital.

Set up by MSF in 2018, the “Village d’Accueil” or “Host Village” offers specialised care, as well as temporary housing, for women during the period leading up to and following childbirth, with the goal of mitigating the risk of death for both mother and newborn.

MSF supports several services at the general reference hospital of Walikale, including with maternal, neonatal and paediatric care, as well ten healthcare centres with general healthcare. MSF also provides mental healthcare for victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in its Tumaini clinic.