Public Health Situation Analysis - Democratic Republic of Congo

Overview

The humanitarian crisis, initially centered in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri in DRC, has now significantly impacted neighboring countries, leading to mass displacement and strained the healthcare systems in the face of multiple disease outbreaks. Prior to the ongoing armed conflict in eastern DRC, the country already had 6.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), 520,000 hosted refugees, and 1.1 million refugees abroad, underscoring the urgent need for international support.

The crisis has led to a breakdown of essential healthcare infrastructure, with 70% of health facilities in North Kivu non-functional and five Mpox treatment centers evacuated, affecting 120 confirmed patients. The region is experiencing concurrent public health emergencies, including cholera, measles, vaccine-derived poliovirus Mpox, Yellow Fever, and conflict-related humanitarian crises. The closure of Goma Airport has severely disrupted humanitarian logistics and emergency response efforts, exacerbating supply chain delays across the region. Regional spillover effects are worsening health conditions in Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania, which are facing increased risk of cholera, Mpox, measles, and malaria outbreaks the in overcrowded refugee camps.

As of 13 March 2025, the crisis has resulted in 6,027 injuries and 843 fatalities in DRC, while humanitarian operations continue to face security threats, disease transmission risks, and logistical barriers. WHO deployed 13 members of Emergency medical team and 23 metric tons of medical supplies to Goma, but ongoing violence, strained border crossings, and disrupted transport routes are hindering response efforts.