“Quinine and ...artemisinin-based combination therapies... for young children are no longer available in sufficient quantities. Rapid screening tests, previously used for early diagnosis, have become scarce. Many parents turn first to traditional healers, delaying access to modern care and exposing children to severe forms of malaria, including severe anemia.” - Government health official, Kasaï, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Date: 7/25
Region: Africa
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Topic: Health
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Additional Context: There is growing concern in the DRC about the ability for health facilities to provide care for children, particularly those with malaria.
This information was first published in a July 2025 research brief by Physicians for Human Rights entitled "Abandoned in Crisis: The Impact of U.S. Global Health Funding Cuts in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This brief is based on the findings of a rapid qualitative research assessment conducted from May-July 2025 with 15 medical professionals, humanitarian actors, and staff implementing projects in the North Kivu, South Kivu, and Kasaï regions of the DRC. Respondents were selected based on their direct experience with health systems affected by U.S. foreign aid funding cuts. Participants shared their perspectives through written statements, recorded interviews, voice memos, or other audio submissions.
Source: Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)