World Bank funding cuts worsen health crisis in DR Congo

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: Médecins Sans Frontières The recent withdrawal of international funding has caused shortages of medicines, vaccines, and nutritional supplies in South Kivu. Access to care in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is deteriorating dangerously, against a backdrop of prolonged conflict and the gradual withdrawal of international health care organizations, including the cessation of World Bank funding through the Multisectoral Nutrition and Health Project (PMNS), Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today. This has had immediate consequences on access to vital care, particularly for pregnant women and newborns in Minova, in the territory of Kalehe. This withdrawal of funding does not affect Minova alone. More than 500 health facilities in South Kivu are affected by the suspension of the PMNS, even as measles outbreaks are ongoing, malnutrition is on the rise, and medicine shortages are becoming more frequent. MSF is warning that without rapid intervention from donors and health care providers, the continuity of care cannot be guaranteed in the area. We urge all donor organizations to urgently reconsider the withdrawal of their funding in South Kivu, in order to prevent a major health crisis and avoidable deaths in the province. South Kivu: deprioritized despite immense needs “National health programs to combat malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, malnutrition, and immunization are no longer functioning effectively in many areas due to security and logistical constraints, as well as funding withdrawals, ” said Issa Moussa, MSF’s head of mission in South Kivu. “Primary health centers, often without paid staff or essential medicines, cannot meet actual needs. ” Shortages of medicines, vaccines, and nutritional supplies now affect the majority of the province’s health zones. In 2025, measles vaccines were unavailable for several months, despite active outbreaks in 24 of the 34 health zones. Obstetric and neonatal care now out of reach in Minova The alarming reality of this crisis is visible in the Minova health zone. After the World Bank halted funding through the PMNS and some partners ended their support in early 2026, Minova General Referral Hospital (HGR) introduced new fees for obstetric and neonatal care, including up to $100 for a cesarean section and $50 for the care of a premature newborn. We cannot permanently replace the health authorities or the humanitarian and development partners who are gradually withdrawing. The consequences are immediate and deeply concerning. Some women, unable to pay, remain hospitalized for several days or weeks until they are able to settle their bills, while others simply forgo care, opting instead for home births without medical support, risking obstetric emergency. As soon as World Bank support ended, according to HGR data, maternity ward visits between January and February 2026 dropped by nearly 34 percent compared to 2025. “We are desperate, worried about our babies and our other children” said a patient hospitalized in January 2026 at Minova HGR. “Some of us have been hospitalized for three days, others for more than two weeks. We have no hope left. I simply cannot pay. ” Pressure on the few free facilities In the highlands, Numbi Hospital is supported by MSF and remains one of the few facilities offering free care. However, it is already operating well beyond capacity. In early 2026, the maternity ward bed occupancy rate exceeded 217 percent, compared to 95 percent in October 2025, which means patients had to share beds. As a result, the hospital cannot absorb an additional influx of patients from coastal areas, from which pregnant women sometimes walk for several hours despite insecurity, due to a lack of financial means. The deterioration of the health care system is occurring against a backdrop of high epidemic risks (e. g. , measles, cholera, mpox ), persistent malnutrition, particularly in the highlands, and extremely high levels of sexual violence. An urgent call to action MSF has worked in the Minova coastal corridor since early 2024 and had initially planned a gradual withdrawal in early 2026 to increase activities in the Numbi highlands — where humanitarian needs are particularly high. Faced with the worsening situation, MSF has had to maintain its support for the Minova General Hospital to prevent a sudden disruption in care, resuming maternity and neonatal care activities in March 2026. During this first month of support, MSF assisted 107 births, including 48 cesarean sections, and 41 admissions of babies to the neonatal unit. “We cannot permanently replace the health authorities or the humanitarian and development partners who are gradually withdrawing, ” said Issa Moussa. “Without operational support and rapid funding, essential health services risk collapsing, with direct consequences for maternal and infant mortality in South Kivu. ” Urgent action is essential. MSF calls on donor organizations to reconsider their financial withdrawal from the health sector in South Kivu in order to ensure access to primary and secondary health care. Humanitarian and health organizations must strengthen their presence and coordination, particularly in Minova. We also call on authorities and parties to the conflict to guarantee safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, depoliticize access to health care, and ensure the continuity of national health programs including HIV, TB, malaria, vaccination, and nutrition in eastern DRC.

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