Photo: Johan Agén
Maternal health care in DR Congo
The UN's Millennium Goals aim for child mortality to be reduced by 75 per cent by 2015. However, progress is slow and more resources are needed to achieve real change. The reasons behind the high number of mortalities are unsafe abortions, heavy bleeding, high blood pressure and infections in connection with childbirth.
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence is used as a part of warfare. The brutal assaults cause great physical and psychological suffering. Due to the lack of proper maternal health care, many women also suffer from severe birth injuries that make it difficult to live a normal life.
Panzi Hospital in Bukavu was founded in 2002 and offers specialist gynaecological care to women who are victims of sexual violence or those with serious childbirth injuries. The Hospital also offers psychosocial and legal support.
PMU and the local Pentecostal movement CEPAC.
Sida is supporting PMU's Congo programme with SEK 22.5 million for the period 2009-2011. Panzi Hospital is part of the programme.
- Panzi Hospital has 450 beds and received approximately 11 000 women in 2010. It is the only hospital in the province that can treat severe gynaecological injuries, and patients are also referred here from nearby provinces and neighbouring countries.