Free deliveries, a first in the DRC

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, launched a program of free maternity and newborn care at the Camp Tshatshi military hospital.

The first part of the care package in the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this program aims to “guarantee free, quality health care and services to all pregnant women, women who have given birth and newborns during their first month of life”, declared the Head of State.

Starting with the city of Kinshasa, this project will then be extended to the whole country.

From prenatal to postnatal consultations, ultrasounds and simple or caesarean deliveries, everything is included in this program deployed with the government’s own funding.

Newborn care, vaccinations, family planning and access to medicines are not excluded.

In addition, the free childbirth program is part of the fight against a particularly high maternal and infant mortality rate.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our mothers no longer lose their lives in childbirth,” said Félix Tshisekedi.