As the deadline for funding applications to the Global Fund approaches, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has sounded an alarm: North Kivu may be excluded from future funding for paludisme. The region is still reeling from conflicts, and the disease remains the leading cause of morbidity in this marked by conflict.
MSF is concerned that the exclusion could have major impacts on the lives and health of the population. Paludisme is an evitable and treatable disease, yet 16,000 people died from it in the DRC last year alone. The disease is still prevalent in North Kivu, where conflicts have caused widespread displacement and obstacles to healthcare access.
The exclusion of North Kivu would be particularly devastating at a time when the region is already facing an Ebola outbreak. The first symptoms of Ebola are often confused with those of paludisme, which can lead to delays in treatment and further exacerbate the situation.
