Maternal Health, Nutrition & Emergency Medical Aid in the DRC

Maternal health, infant nutrition and emergency medical aid (EHMA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo form the primary operational pillar of SAPI Switzerland. In conflict and displacement zones (North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Kasai), caring for mothers and screening early for malnutrition saves young lives even before schooling can begin.

Why child health starts with the mother

During forced displacements caused by armed clashes, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under five are hardest hit by broken access to health facilities and safe drinking water. A child suffering from acute malnutrition or recurring bouts of malaria and waterborne diseases faces direct threats to survival and cognitive development.

Our frontline health and nutrition interventions (EHMA Pillar)

Within our SAPI-CARE approach, the Emergency Humanitarian & Medical Aid (EHMA) pillar comprises four essential interventions:

• Primary healthcare and mobile clinics: management of the deadliest childhood illnesses in crisis settings (malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases) and referral of severe cases to partner hospital facilities.
• Child malnutrition screening and management: mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening for children aged 6 to 59 months, therapeutic food distribution and family nutrition education using locally available foods.
• Maternal, newborn and child health: prenatal and postnatal care, promoting skilled birth attendance and emergency infant and young child feeding support.
• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH): safe drinking water access, dignity hygiene kits for women and girls, and outbreak prevention in displacement sites and partner schools.

A direct link between health, protection and education

A healthy, well-nourished child can return to the classroom and take part in psychosocial activities (CARE-MH and CARE-EDU). That is why our field teams systematically link medical care with child protection programmes across Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.