Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) expresses profound concern over potential future funding reductions, fearing a severe deterioration of the health situation in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This region has endured a prolonged humanitarian crisis for several years, marked by supply chain disruptions that significantly strain its healthcare system.

Stéphane Doyon, program manager for Médecins Sans Frontières France, articulated the reasons behind this apprehension. He emphasized that if North Kivu were to be removed from the Global Fund’s priority list, the majority of essential treatments currently supplied by the Global Fund to health centers — those not directly managed by MSF — would cease to arrive. This would create a critical void. MSF, he explained, lacks the capacity to substitute the Global Fund’s comprehensive support across an entire province, making the situation dire.

Mr. Doyon further highlighted that malaria remains the leading cause of consultations at MSF’s health facilities in the region. For MSF, the paramount concern is ensuring the continued integration of malaria support for North Kivu, a province profoundly affected and currently categorized as one of the most critical health zones. Beyond malaria, North Kivu is also grappling with outbreaks of measles and cholera. The population, deeply scarred by ongoing conflict, urgently requires sustained external assistance to cope with these multifaceted health challenges.