Health Infrastructure and HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo

A component in the development in Operation "Save the Congo' that we will focus lies in the Health infrastructure. The Democratic Republic of Congo was one of the first African countries to recognize HIV, registering cases as early as 1983. The most common method of transferring the virus occurs through homosexual activity; linking to over 87% cases in the Congo. Demographically, the ages groups most affected are women aged 20 to about 29 and men alike aged 30 to 39.

Other method that contribute to the rampant spread of the virus are the large movement of refugees nd soldiers; seeing as though population movements are often associated with the exacerbation of the HIV virus as it is now localized in areas most populated by troops and in other war-displaced populations. In addition, there is the increased levels of sexual transmitted diseases among sex workers and clientele alike, due to the limited availability of condoms in the country.

All in all, without the relief of Operation "Save the Congo' the continuing problem of HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo becomes a leading issue in a country already suffering from other health issues. Along with the spread of the HIV virus, the impact that malaria has on the Democratic Republic of Congo is profound, and this is due to the expansion by insects and the fact that malaria is the primary cause of mortality among pregnant women and young children. On average, there are five million cases of malaria every year in the Congo and around 500,000 to one million people die of this disease every year.

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In addition, 97% of the countrys 70 million inhabitants live in areas where malaria is deeply concentrated, subjecting most of inhabitants with the vicious disease. Mosquitoes are the primary carriers of malaria, and due to the fact that Congo is located close to the equator, one can assume that the high number of mosquito presence is chiefly due to the humid climate of the country. Along with the expansion of the malaria disease, there are its impacts on pregnant women and children. Of the people that die from malaria, 91% of those inhabitants are ones that are pregnant women or children under the age of five.

Children bear the majority of the burden of both the morbidity and mortality, as they are at greater risk of catching he disease and dying as well. Out of the 5 million reported cases of malaria, around 2. 3 million cases of children under five with malaria were reported; with around 25,000 of the 2. 3 million dying from malaria- related diseases. Another section of the health infrastructure we would like to focus on in our relief plan lies in the topic of maternal and child health care.

In other words, aside from the malaria epidemic there are other health factors needed to be taken into consideration when discussing maternal and child health care. Due to the lack of resources in the Congo, women nd their children have continuous struggles in sustaining their resources, and thus, taking proper care of their children. The lack of clean water and liveable homes attribute to the dismal health of women and their families, and this only makes them more susceptible to the rampant diseases described previously.

According to the United Nations Population Fund released in June 2011, maternal mortality rate for the Democratic Republic of the Congo per 100,000 is 670 deaths. Meaning, that for every 100,000 childbearing woman in the Congo, there are 670 infant deaths. Compared of ther developing countries, that ranks in the top percentile as tar as maternal mortality rates, and that fgure alone only begins to outline the profound impact the weak health infrastructure and the lasting impacts it has on women and children in the country.

Despite the daily turmoil men, women and children face everyday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is hope. With the implementation of Operation: Save The Congo, we can finally provide the needed relief efforts that was never before applied to the country. Similar to the New Deal used in the United States uring the Great Depression, these programs are meant to relief and reform the Congo into a livable society, and get it to a point where it may function and prosper on its own.

In order to achieve this landmark reform in the health sector, Operation: Save the Congo will first build new hospitals. The lack of stable, sanitary hospitals is an on-going problem that continues in the Congo, but with the relief that Operation STC provides, funding will go into building hospitals, helping solve the problems of HIV/AIDS and malaria. In addition, new hospitals will help decrease the maternal ortality rates, as we will provide new technologies needed to prevent disease and malnutrition.

Moreover, we want to do a "reverse brain-drain" method in which we partner will developed countries and send highly skilled doctors, physicians, and nurses over to the Congo to work in these hospitals and provide expert health care. A big part of the new health infrastructure will be the development of a new filtration system to produce clean water not only for newly built hospitals, but for the country in total. This project will be the top priority in guiding the Congo into a new era in ealth technology, as the production of clean water will diminish mortality rates, and it will also help prevent other diseases.

Lastly there is the building of living shelters across the country, providing imported foods and goods from developed countries in an effort to sustain lives. This will give the necessary shelter women, men and children need in order to live their lives fully. Bringing in imported foods and goods would also contribute to the decline of diseases, as it gives its inhabitants the proper nutrients from the foods and the quality living standards from the newly imported goods. All in all, these are the problems that persists in the health sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

HIV/AID, malaria, lack of resources are all continuous strains on this developing country and its people are fading fast. The programs that were Just highlighted will save the congo, as it will provide newly built facilities including hospital and living shelters with trained practitioners and a new clean water filtration system. With these programs set in place, the health infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be on course on becoming a great leader for health in the world.

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