The DRC called upon to invest in the diagnosis of diseases at the local level

The DRC called upon to invest in the diagnosis of diseases at the local level


[KINSHASA] Health authorities must resort to innovative solutions for the detection of the most common diseases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), believe Congolese scientists and researchers.

Mulangu Sabue, virologist and teacher-researcher at the University of Kinshasa, suggests that for each current disease, there are quick tests available at the local level for an immediate diagnosis.

He also adds that “civilian drones could transport samples from isolated health centers to equipped laboratories”, in order to bypass the obstacle that constitutes the absence or poor condition of the communication routes.

“Investment in the detection of diseases is not substantial. Our country has faced many health crises in recent years and it should push us to remain alert ”

Philomène LUNGU, University of Lubumbashi

The researcher also recommends improving the quality of available human resources. “It is important to better train local teams to analyze trends and conduct epidemiological investigations as soon as signs of increasing cases, allowing rapid and precise intervention by central and provincial authorities,” he explains.

Mulangu Sabue’s recommendations follow the late detection of a serious form of malaria which affected the Kwango health district, in the southwest of the DRC, and which left more than 160 dead in November and December 2024.

For Philomène Lungu, professor at the University of Lubumbashi, “the current crisis demonstrates the need to continue to invest in the detection capacity of diseases, but not only those which are already under surveillance. »»

“Today,” she adds, investing in this area is not substantial. Our country has faced many health crises in recent years and it should push us to stay alert. ”

“Unknown disease”

Indeed, the first cases of death due to this serious malaria then then called “unknown disease”, characterized by fever, headache, nasal flow and respiratory difficulty, were reported by local authorities from months of November 2024.

“From November 10 to 25, the Panzi health zone had declared 167 deaths, some in the community, others in terms of medical structures. The lethality rate was then 6.4 %, ”reports Apollinaire Yumba, provincial Minister of Health, interviewed by Scidev.net.

He adds that on December 11, the expansion of the disease already extended in 8 of the 30 health areas that make up the Panzi health area. “The team of the INRB (National Institute for Biomedical Research) had then taken 164 other samples in addition to the 11 samples sent to Kenge and then to Kinshasa in the aftermath of the epidemic,” he said.

The analysis of the samples had finally made it possible to conclude that it was a serious form of malaria. “The alert was given, but the investigation dragged, that is to say that there was no immediate response. It is an area that is extremely remote, with fairly difficult access routes, ”explains Mulangu Sabue.

For him, “it was a logistical problem to have access to the area and make adequate samples, return the samples to Kinshasa for confirmation or for the search for etiology. There are also insecurity pockets there which also explain the delay, ”continues the latter.

Worrying situation

Faced with this difficulty in identifying the disease, the intervention was limited to the treatment of symptoms. Two tonnes of drugs, offered by WHO, had been distributed to populations, under the management of the Center for Public Health Emergency Operations.

Louis Massing, Medical Coordinator of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), underlines that “despite the logistical difficulties, MSF had organized mobile clinics in collaboration with the local health authorities to provide immediate care”.

“We had found a worrying situation by the number of cases notified, the symptomatology presented by patients, made of fever, cough, asthenia, whose diagnosis was not yet confirmed at our arrival on site. We also noted that the situation was more worrying in three health areas (Tshakala-Panzi, Panzi-Makita and Kanzangi), “says Louis Massing.

Mosquito nets impregnated with insecticide had been distributed by the NGO in the affected areas. However, the MSF medical coordinator said that, until the end of MSF’s mission, a month after the start of the disease, there was no information on the index case. “But everyone thinks that this first case would have come from the Tshakala-Panzi health area,” he said.

Measures were also taken by the local government to contain the disease. “From the first days of the disease, we had the services of the General Migration Directorate, of the National Information Agency to be able to limit the migratory flow. The technical team that we had deployed on the ground raised awareness by promoting barrier measures throughout the population, “said the provincial Minister of Health.

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