A Snapshot of Poverty, Diseases and war – the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Shibu Sasidharan, Harpreet S. Dhillon
Abstract
DRC's fight with the EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) was just settling when WHO declared COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on March 12, 2020. DRC's economic growth decelerated from its pre-COVID level of 4.4% in 2019 to an estimated 0.8% in 2020. This has caused concomitant setbacks in the treatment and control of major health issues like HIV, tuberculosis, measles, rift valley fever and malaria in the country. This, coupled with civil unrest, other infectious diseases and risk to the safety of the health workers is a recipe for a 'perfect storm' waiting to unfold.
Topics & Concepts
MeaslesMalariaPublic healthEbola virusRift Valley feverPandemicUnrestPovertySpanish Civil WarTuberculosisPolitical scienceDevelopment economicsEnvironmental healthEconomic growthCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)MedicineDiseaseInfectious disease (medical specialty)VirologyOutbreakLawEconomicsImmunologyVaccinationPoliticsNursingPathologyViral Infections and Outbreaks ResearchHealth and Conflict Studies