Chance Azina was walking slowly down the streets of Goma in North Kivu province. Like many others, she was trying to maintain a sense of normalcy despite being displaced multiple times by violent violence that burned across the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
What Ajina didn’t know is that without emergency medical care, both pregnancy and childbirth can have fatal consequences.
Around the next corner she met Amani, a community outreach worker at the Kyeshero Christian Center for the Light Health facility.
“When he asked about headaches and foot pain, I was scared. That’s exactly what I was feeling,” Ajina told UNFPA, the UN Sexual and Reproductive Health Organization, which supports the facility.
She went straight to a health check and received free care from a midwife trained and supported by the UNFPA. “She was suffering from severe headaches and leg pain, but was not seen by healthcare workers from the beginning of her pregnancy,” explained Justin, one of the midwives. “We immediately conducted tests to rule out the risk of prelammosis.”
Prenatal care was impossible to find amid the violence that hundreds of thousands of people fled in fear. When the village of her village on Masishi territory was attacked in December 2024, Ajina and her four children walked over 90 km to Brengo’s evacuation camp. However, when multiple sites hosting displaced people were disbanded by the opposition in February, they were kicked out. The family moved to yet another camp with thousands of other people. Eventually, the host family offered to let her and her children share Kyeshero’s small room. And since her husband disappeared a few months ago, she has faced her vulnerable pregnancy on her own.
Thousands of women share reality
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, access to reproductive health services is lacking even before the latest crisis, and the country has one of the maternal mortality rates. Currently, only three hospitals are still operating in North and South Kibhu. All of this is overwhelming and lacking essential supplies, staff, electricity and fuel for ambulances. This means that many women are forced to give birth at home without help.
Currently, only three hospitals are still operating in North and South Kibhu, but everything is overwhelming
Reports show that less than half of pregnant women are able to attend the recommended minimum of four prenatal visits. Of those who do so, their first visit is often too late to prevent complications. Even fewer people know about dangerous signs such as low weight, anemia, high blood pressure, and severe headaches. All of these can indicate life-threatening complications.
Before meeting Amani, Ajina had no idea that the pain could take her life and the baby’s life.
“Many women feel they can no longer get help after leaving camp,” explained Dr. Solange N. Gunn, who works at UNFPA in North Kivu. “Our community workers play an important role in raising awareness and providing guidance to the most vulnerable women.”
UNFPA’s community-based approach identifies, notifies and refers to pregnant women partnering with health facilities to treat prenatal consultations, family planning, and sexual violence survivors. This allows the most leftovers to be reconnected to the health care system, even outside of the evacuation camp.
Adapted and sustained response
Since February 2025, UNFPA has deployed 120 midwives and 360 community workers across Goma to ensure uninterrupted services and reduce maternal and neonatal deaths.
As Agina continues her routine health check, she knows better where to seek risks and emergency help. “Like in any other time, I thought I had to give birth on my own,” she said. “I didn’t know I had any help yet – it was a young man I met on the street who saved my life.”
Sign up for the AllAfrica newsletter for free
Get the latest African news
success!
Almost finished…
You need to check your email address.
Follow the instructions in the email you sent to complete the process.
error!
There was a problem processing the submission. Please try again later.
Kondo has proven that even if the conflict is spiral, a single piece of information or listening ear can be enough to save lives. Nationwide, UNFPA has raised awareness, provided reproductive health kits, strengthened referral systems for obstetric emergency situations, and continues to operate safe spaces for survivors of gender-based violence.
The US has been a key and generous donor to these programs, but the recent termination of funds has impacted over 3 million people in the North Kibv alone (over 3 million people in the North Kibv alone). Mobile health clinics have been suspended in several regions due to anxiety, and the highest level of acute hunger ever recorded in the country means that women and girls, especially pregnant and new mothers, face even greater threats to their lives.
UNFPA is urgently seeking US$18 million between February and August 2025, maintaining life-saving interventions and protecting the most vulnerable groups in North and South Kibhu.
