Eastern DRC: war injuries put strain on medical facilities as M23 rebels advance

The advance of M23 rebels in eastern DRC has worsened an already fragile healthcare situation in the country.

Caring for wounds from the fighting between the rebels and the Congolese armed forces has become an increasing challenge for hospitals.

34 facilities in North Kivu have also been affected by the battles.

But war injuries are not the only challenge for DRC hospitals. Regular outbreaks of infectious illnesses also put medical facilities under strain.

Dr Jean Bruno WHO Bureau Chief, North Kivu, said: “The fact is we do not have enough resources, in fact financial resources to provide all the support."

He continued by saying that "the identification, research and recovery of patients, especially infectious ones, such as those who had measles, cholera or mpox" also represented a challenge for medical establishments.

As the rebels continue to advance towards the city of Uvira, the healthcare situation in the region is set to worsen.

According to the NGO Doctors without Borders, medical facilities there have already been hit by artillery.