[ Applicabilité de l’accord de Maputo dans le contexte de la province du Sud-Ubangi - Enjeux et perspectives: Etude réalisée dans l’aire de santé cité Kivu, Zone de santé urbano-rurale de Gemena, Ville de Gemena. Province de Sud Ubangi, RD Congo ]
Volume 43, Issue 4, October 2024, Pages 1201–1210
MOMBELA IBELE Désiré1, Mambesa Bainamboka Martin2, MANGI BENDE Maurice3, WEBINA SANA Clarice4, MALAKA MAKONGO Frédéric5, KUTUBATO ETONDE Niclette6, Bokango Bapoti Thomas7, ETOMBO Wa LINGOMBOLO8, and MONGANGA TWANA Olivier9
1 ISTM GEMENA, RD Congo
2 Assistant (Enseignant) à l’ISTM Gemena, Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
3 Licencié en sciences infirmières/EASI, RD Congo
4 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
5 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
6 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
7 Assistant à l’ISTM Gemena, Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
8 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
9 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The health and well-being of women of reproductive age are central to sexual and reproductive health concerns in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), especially in the South Ubangi province. Despite the 2018 ratification of the Maputo Protocol, which advocates for comprehensive abortion care centered on women (SCACF), its implementation remains limited, contributing to high maternal morbidity and mortality rates. The World Health Organization estimates that over 200,000 women die annually in developing countries due to unsafe abortions, a particularly severe issue in areas like Gemena, where maternal deaths, especially among adolescents, are frequent. The high mortality is partly due to social stigma, which views abortion as a criminal act, preventing access to appropriate healthcare services. A study conducted in the Kivu health area revealed significant gaps in the implementation of the Maputo Protocol. Of 21 healthcare providers surveyed, only 2 (9.1%) had received SCACF training, far below WHO standards. Additionally, the necessary infrastructure and equipment to provide quality care were lacking. The study shows that the Maputo Protocol is largely non-functional in the Kivu health area and throughout the Gemena health zone. To address these issues, it is crucial for health sector actors, particularly the government, to ensure the proper application of the protocol. This would not only improve women's health but also contribute to the overall development of the province and the country.
Author Keywords: care, abortions, health, sexual, reproductive, Maputo agreement.
Volume 43, Issue 4, October 2024, Pages 1201–1210
MOMBELA IBELE Désiré1, Mambesa Bainamboka Martin2, MANGI BENDE Maurice3, WEBINA SANA Clarice4, MALAKA MAKONGO Frédéric5, KUTUBATO ETONDE Niclette6, Bokango Bapoti Thomas7, ETOMBO Wa LINGOMBOLO8, and MONGANGA TWANA Olivier9
1 ISTM GEMENA, RD Congo
2 Assistant (Enseignant) à l’ISTM Gemena, Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
3 Licencié en sciences infirmières/EASI, RD Congo
4 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
5 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
6 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
7 Assistant à l’ISTM Gemena, Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
8 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
9 Chef de Travaux, ISTM Gemena, Province du Sud-Ubangi, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2024 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The health and well-being of women of reproductive age are central to sexual and reproductive health concerns in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), especially in the South Ubangi province. Despite the 2018 ratification of the Maputo Protocol, which advocates for comprehensive abortion care centered on women (SCACF), its implementation remains limited, contributing to high maternal morbidity and mortality rates. The World Health Organization estimates that over 200,000 women die annually in developing countries due to unsafe abortions, a particularly severe issue in areas like Gemena, where maternal deaths, especially among adolescents, are frequent. The high mortality is partly due to social stigma, which views abortion as a criminal act, preventing access to appropriate healthcare services. A study conducted in the Kivu health area revealed significant gaps in the implementation of the Maputo Protocol. Of 21 healthcare providers surveyed, only 2 (9.1%) had received SCACF training, far below WHO standards. Additionally, the necessary infrastructure and equipment to provide quality care were lacking. The study shows that the Maputo Protocol is largely non-functional in the Kivu health area and throughout the Gemena health zone. To address these issues, it is crucial for health sector actors, particularly the government, to ensure the proper application of the protocol. This would not only improve women's health but also contribute to the overall development of the province and the country.
Author Keywords: care, abortions, health, sexual, reproductive, Maputo agreement.
Abstract: (french)
La santé et le bien-être des femmes en âge de procréer sont au cœur des préoccupations en matière de santé reproductive en RDC, en particulier dans la province du Sud Ubangi. Malgré des protocoles comme celui de Maputo, ratifié en 2018 et visant l’intégration de soins complets d’avortement centrés sur la femme (SCACF), leur mise en œuvre reste limitée, contribuant à des taux élevés de morbidité et de mortalité maternelle. Chaque année, l’OMS estime que plus de 200 000 femmes meurent dans les pays en développement à cause d'avortements clandestins, un problème particulièrement présent dans des zones comme la ville de Gemena où les cas de décès maternels, surtout chez les adolescentes, sont nombreux. Ce taux élevé est en partie lié au manque de sensibilisation et à l’inaccessibilité des soins appropriés, renforcés par les normes sociales locales qui stigmatisent l’avortement et l’assimilent à un acte criminel, rendant difficile l’accès aux soins de santé. Une étude menée dans l’aire de santé Kivu a révélé des lacunes significatives dans la mise en œuvre du protocole de Maputo. Sur 21 prestataires sondés, seulement 2 avaient reçu une formation sur les SCACF, soit à peine 9,1 %, un chiffre bien en deçà des recommandations de l’OMS. De plus, les infrastructures et équipements nécessaires pour fournir ces soins de qualité font cruellement défaut. Cette étude démontre que l’application du protocole de Maputo reste largement insuffisante dans cette région. Pour remédier à cette situation, l’engagement des acteurs de la santé, y compris le gouvernement, est essentiel pour assurer l’application du protocole et améliorer la santé des femmes, contribuant ainsi au développement durable de la province et du pays.
Author Keywords: soins, avortements, santé, sexuelle, reproductive, accord de Maputo.
How to Cite this Article
MOMBELA IBELE Désiré, Mambesa Bainamboka Martin, MANGI BENDE Maurice, WEBINA SANA Clarice, MALAKA MAKONGO Frédéric, KUTUBATO ETONDE Niclette, Bokango Bapoti Thomas, ETOMBO Wa LINGOMBOLO, and MONGANGA TWANA Olivier, “Applicability of the Maputo Agreement in the Context of South-Ubangi Province - Issues and Perspectives: Study Conducted in the Kivu Health Area, Gemena Urban-Rural Health Zone, City of Gemena, South Ubangi Province, DR Congo,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 1201–1210, October 2024.
