The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines marked a turning point in pandemic control, yet vaccine hesitancy emerged as a significant obstacle in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study aims to investigate socio-behavioural drivers of vaccine hesitancy in three hi...
(1) Background: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the countries with the highest number of never vaccinated or “zero-dose” (ZD) children in the world. This study was conducted to examine the proportion of ZD children an...
Introduction: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) does not have national prevalence data for arterial hypertension (HTN) or diabetes (type I and II combined) to aid evidence-based decision-making, despite the assumption of epidemiological transiti...
Cocoa agroforestry has evolved into an accepted natural resource conservation strategy in the tropics. It is regularly proposed as one of the main uses for REDD+ projects (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and the role of c...
11 February 2022
The predictive factors of HIV-1 drug resistance and its distribution are poorly documented in female sex workers (FSWs) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However, the identification of predictive factors can lead to the development of im...
Background: In 2018, malaria remained a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accounting for 44% of all outpatient visits and 22% of deaths. This led to the development of the strategic plan for 2020–...
Despite the technical, socio-economic and environmental challenges, indigenous subsistence agroforestry, generally referred to as slash-and-burn agriculture or bush-fallow farming, is a common practice for local populations in the Democratic Republic...
Background: Environmental surveillance (ES) of wastewater was introduced by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to improve the sensitivity of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ES for...
13 May 2021
(1) Background: In resource-limited countries, patients with tuberculosis (TB)/HIV coinfection commonly face economic, sociocultural, and behavioral barriers to effective treatment. These barriers manifest from low treatment literacy, poverty, gender...
Background: Sickle cell disease is a major public health issue in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but it is still poorly understood by health professionals. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of Congolese ph...
13 October 2020
Background. Public markets were exempted from the restrictive regulations instituted to limit the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the early stage of the pandemic, we assessed people’s know...
Clade I mpox virus (MPXV) is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Recent studies have described the changing epidemiology of mpox in the country, which has been mainly characterized by the emergence of new MPXV lineages, Clade Ib/sh...
In the battle to quickly identify potential yellow fever arbovirus outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, active syndromic surveillance of acute febrile jaundice patients across the country is a powerful tool. However, patients who test n...
20 January 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impose a heavy burden on people around the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has also been affected. The objective of this study was to explore national policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in t...
Human Mpox cases are increasingly reported in Africa, with the highest burden in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While case reporting on a clinical basis can overestimate infection rates, laboratory confirmation by PCR can underestimate them,...
Background: In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced in 2011 through a three-dose schedule, targeting infants as part of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), to reduce pneum...
20 April 2023
A lack of awareness regarding obstetric danger signs (ODS) is one of the factors that delay a pregnant woman’s decision to seek emergency obstetric care. In developing countries, this delay can lead to high morbidity and mortality among pregnan...
Background/Objectives: Diagnosing Ebola virus disease (EVD) based solely on clinical signs remains challenging in settings where its manifestations overlap with other endemic infections. This study aimed to validate a Bayesian clinical diagnostic mod...
17 October 2022
Objective: In this evaluation of COVID-19 preventative response programs in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we aimed to explore community understandings of COVID-19, assess operational successes and challenges of COVID response ac...
Early March 2019, health authorities of Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alerted a sudden increase in acute fever/arthralgia cases, prompting an outbreak investigation. We collected surveillance data, clinical data, and laboratory speci...
Seroprevalence surveys constitute a critical tool for estimating population exposure to infectious agents, particularly during public health emergencies. In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, such surveys revealed that t...
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the incidence of sickle cell anemia (SCA) is estimated to affect 30,000 to 40,000 neonates per year. However, there is paucity of data on acute clinical manifestations in sickle cell children. In these circumstanc...
With 12 of the 31 outbreaks, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is highly affected by Ebolavirus disease (EVD). To better understand the role of bats in the ecology of Ebola viruses, we conducted surveys in bats during two recent EVD outbreaks an...
(1) Introduction: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has one of the largest cohorts of un- and under-vaccinated children worldwide. This study aimed to identify and compare the main reasons for there being zero-dose (ZD) or under-vaccinated c...
21 September 2023
Despite continuous efforts to control schistosomiasis (SCH) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it still poses a significant challenge. In order to enhance control measures, additional research is necessary. This study documents the burden...
(1) Background: “Zero-dose” (ZD) refers to a child who has not received any doses of the pentavalent (diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis–Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)–hepatitis B) vaccine. ZD children are vulnerabl...
Background/Objectives: Understanding the neurocognitive profile of children with sickle cell disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo is essential, as this condition can significantly affect their development. Our study aims to assess these childr...
The drastic and historic fall in natural rubber prices has prompted many smallholders around the world to abandon rubber plantations in favor of other survival alternatives. In the Lomela and Lodja territories of Sankuru Province (Democratic Republic...
17 May 2021
Context: In this era of patient-centered care, it is increasingly important for HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs to customize their services according to patients’ clinical stage progression and other risk assessments. To enable such customizatio...
The Congo Basin peatlands, the world’s largest tropical peatland complex, are critical for global carbon storage yet remain poorly understood from a human dimension’s perspective. This study explores the perceptions, lifestyles, and knowl...
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea Linnaeus) is an important vegetable crop for food security and income generation for farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, production is severely undermined by a complex of insect pests. This study inv...
Little is known about the micronutrient status of women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is critical for the design of effective nutrition interventions. We recruited 744 mother-child pairs from South Kivu (SK) and Kongo Ce...
This study assessed inequality in maternal healthcare service utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, using the Demographic and Health Surveys of 2007 and 2013–2014. We assessed the magnitude of inequality using logistical regressi...
Populations affected by humanitarian crises and emerging infectious disease outbreaks may have unique concerns and experiences that influence their perceptions toward vaccines. In March 2021, we conducted a survey to examine the perceptions toward CO...
A high epilepsy prevalence has been reported in onchocerciasis meso- and hyper-endemic regions in sub-Saharan Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We investigated whether onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy can also be suspecte...
In May 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus. We analysed aggregated official Situation Reports (SitReps) issued from 14 May through 14 July 2026 to describe the re...
A high burden of epilepsy is observed in Africa where parasitological infections are endemic. In 2016, in an Onchocerciasis endemic area in the Logo health zone, in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a door-to-door study showed an ep...
The ongoing second-largest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was caused by contagious Bundibugyo virus (BDBV). So far, seven provinces of the DRC including Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, Nord-Kivu (North Kivu), Sud-Kivu (South...
10 December 2024
Since 2014, the health sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been undergoing reforms aimed at strengthening the Provincial Health Administration (PHA) to better support health district development through technical support to district he...
23 December 2023
Individuals living near cholera patients have an increased risk of cholera infections. Case-area targeted interventions (CATIs) promoting improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) present a promising approach to reducing cholera for those residi...
1 October 2025
This study presents a comprehensive assessment of lighting conditions in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of two major hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Hospital du Cinquantenaire in Kinshasa and Jason Sendwe Hospital in Lubumbashi....
Background: Geohelminthiasis and malaria are major public health problems in Kinshasa. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to these conditions due to their weakened immunity, with severe complications such as maternal anemia and low birth weig...
Background: Malaria is a significant public health challenge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In conflict-affected areas, access to quality-assured ACTs is restricted by chronic stockouts and circulation of substandard and falsified antimalar...
Primary forests are essential ecosystems that can play a key role in mitigating climate change. REDD+ is designed to help countries and communities secure benefits for avoiding deforestation but has faced significant implementation challenges. There...
Despite a decade of sustained malaria control, malaria remains a serious public health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Children under five years of age and school-age children aged 5–15 years remain at high risk of symptomati...
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is among the countries that have a high malaria incidence. In an effort to combat this public health challenge, innovative tools and strategies are being developed and evaluated. Among the new generation of nets...
Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly transmissible and devastating disease that affects poultry and wild birds worldwide. Comprehensive knowledge regarding the characteristics and epidemiological factors of the ND virus (NDV) is critical for the contro...
Recently, a Salmonella Typhi isolate producing CTX-M-15 extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and with decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility was isolated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have selected bacteriophages that show strong lytic...
Background/Objectives: Immunization coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) consistently falls short of global standards, placing the country among those with the highest prevalence of unvaccinated or “zero-dose” children....
Background: Family planning remains a cornerstone of reproductive health strategies to reduce maternal and child mortality by preventing unintended and high-risk pregnancies. Despite the implementation of the FP2020 initiative, empirical evidence on...
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