»ACTIVITIES
The project aims to reintegrate and socialise street children through a partnership with a local NGO and through a network of local organisations. With healthcare and prevention, particularly AIDS, acting as our point of entry for engaging children, the activities are focused on primary care consultations, health promotion sessions on STIs and HIV/AIDS and referral of children to appropriate health facilities for STI and HIV screening and treatment. The project also helps clinics provide psychosocial support to children living with HIV/AIDS. Finally, the project also focuses on reintegrating street children.

»OUTLOOK
MdM has now completed its gradual withdrawal and has handed over to our local partner AED. MdM will start a new three-year project concentrating on the protection of girls living on the streets and their babies. The project will focus on reproductive healthcare, dealing with sexual violence and HIV/AIDS. Advocacy themes will also be developed.

»ACTIVITIES
Our programme is an integrated response to the AIDS epidemic by building capacity in local actors and by helping to creating a collective and complementary response by supporting prevention and awareness-raising activities among the general public and specific vulnerable groups. The programme also aims to improve access to treatment for STIs in the Goma health zone and to encourage take-up of voluntary testing. Finally, MdM provides medical, psychological and social support to people living with HIV and develops prevention and care services for adolescents.

»OUTLOOK
This programme will be extended over the next two years with expanded provision of comprehensive care for HIV.

»ACTIVITIES
Since 2004, the growing interest in the issue of sexual violence among the international
community and NGOs in DRC has resulted in a joint initiative involving ministries (health and justice), UN agencies, international NGOs and provincial commissions tackling sexual violence. This programme is part of the integrated HIV project in Goma. It aims to build the capacity of local actors and, through its operational activities, to improve the psychological wellbeing of women affected by violence.

»OUTLOOK
This pilot programme (which includes training psycho-social counsellors, a centre for exchange of practices) has been prolonged for two years and it may be integrated into a joint project to provide comprehensive support (medical, socio-economic, legal and psycho-social) while planning gradual withdrawal.

The vast province of Katanga is split into two parts: the southern region is rich, thanks to the cobalt mines, and the northern region (Tangamite) is poorer. Cholera is endemic in these lakeside and riverside regions, and has increased since the crisis.

»ACTIVITIES
The activities are centred round the implementation of an action plan that includes training and enables improved access to health services for the population. It also enables greater involvement of communities in health programmes and includes health education sessions and training health workers. MdM also supports the local authorities (central health bureaux) in managing health zones and provides advice and support to management teams. Lobbying activities targeting donors—particularly in relation to access to free healthcare for the most vulnerable—are being prepared for 2010.

»OUTLOOK
As part of the strategy to strengthen the health system, as requested by the national authorities, the programme will concentrate on providing support to boost two particular reference areas and helping health services to become more autonomous. A support plan for the central health bureaux will be maintained in nine other areas.

The vast province of Katanga is split into two parts: the southern region is rich, thanks to the cobalt mines, and the northern region (Tangamite) is poorer. Cholera is endemic in these lakeside and riverside regions, and has increased since the crisis.

»ACTIVITIES
The project aims to improve the population’s health by training and supervising vaccination teams, raising awareness among the population, and reinforcing the cold chain. MdM also supports health facilities with data collection, training community contact persons in disease surveillance and organising discussion sessions. The project also includes the refurbishment of cholera treatment centres, provision of therapeutic materials, preventive chlorination of water and pre-positioning emergency response supplies.

»OUTLOOK
In 2008, the number of cholera cases reported halved, but the cases have spread throughout Tanganyika district. The partnership between international actors and the health authorities should enable improvements in surveillance and epidemic response.