Maternal Assistance Project in DR Congo

New Windsor – IMA World Health works to promote the care of mothers and their babies through the Maternal Assistance Project (MAP) in Equateur Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the most remote and inaccessible areas of the country. Five health zones (and five health centers in each zone) are targeted in the northern sector of the province with a total population of 207,000 persons. 

During the past year, armed conflict has meant occasional delays in the achievement of all project goals. Nevertheless, success has been achieved in most of the project's major activities:

• Support to 25 clinics, 5 in each of 5 targeted health zones
• Provision of medicines and vitamins to support antenatal services and prenatal counseling, including examinations and screening tests
• Support of additional supplementary services including literacy training, nutritional support and family planning services
• Counseling and campaigns against gender-based violence
• Training to health care providers in the 25 clinics, building the capacity to provide better services to women and children

The project reports that at least 85% of the goals have been met in most of these areas, remarkable achievement in the midst of civil unrest.

The project has been especially successful in high attendance at antenatal clinics, training rural health workers and mobilizing campaigns against gender-based violence. To the women of the province, these are the most pressing issues.

Yvette Mulongo, Coordinator of MAP, reports that, 'Regardless of the unsettled conditions with repercussions on the lives of the populations in the focused health zones, the MAP Project continues to give hope and save lives of those so much in need.'