Central African Republic in grip of acute humanitarian emergency, with malaria cases soaring, says MSF
The Central African Republic (CAR) faces its most serious malaria crisis in years together with the risk of increased levels of malnutrition following a coup in March that has plunged the country into chaos, a medical NGO claimed on Tuesday.
Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) said in a report that the country is in the grip of a humanitarian emergency. Malnutrition and preventable diseases are rife, while cases of malaria, a leading cause of death, have reached alarming numbers.
"We are facing one of the worst years in terms of the impact of the disease," said Ellen van der Velden, MSF's head of mission in CAR.
Instability returned to the country when Séléka, a rebel coalition, launched an offensive last December. An agreement was signed by warring parties in January, but in March Séléka seized control of Bangui, the capital, in a coup. Michel Djotodia, one of the Séléka leaders, proclaimed himself president, François Bozizé, the former president, fled the country, and the armed forces and police disbanded.
During the rebel offensive, hospitals and health centres were ransacked and medical staff fled. Without doctors, medicines or medical supplies, the majority of people in CAR have no access to healthcare.
UN agencies and many NGOs have withdrawn to Bangui, leaving the majority of the country without aid. According to MSF, the people of CAR - 4.4 million people spread across a country bigger than France - have effectively been abandoned just when they most need help.
MSF said in the first quarter, health facilities it supported treated about 74,700 patients for malaria, a 33% increase over the same period in 2012, when 50,442 were treated for the disease. For children under five, there has been an increase of 46%, from 29,910 in first-quarter 2012 to nearly 44,500 in the same period this year.
"This data indicates the likelihood of a further increase in consultations during the peak malaria season, which begins in July, and potentially one of the most acute malaria crises in recent years," said MSF.
The group said disruption of the health system has interrupted treatment of people with HIV. It estimates that about 11,000 HIV-positive people (73% of all people who are on antiretroviral treatment) have had their treatment interrupted due to drug supply problems. Routine vaccinations for diseases such as measles, meningitis and whooping cough have also been disrupted.
Instability has worsened an already precarious food security situation: a poor harvest, poor food supplies and volatile food prices. MSF sees a risk of increased levels of malnutrition.
MSF called on relief groups to maintain their commitment to CAR, and allocate adequate resources to respond to the medical and humanitarian crisis in the country.
Analysts have warned that the collapse of the state and the disappearance of security forces from a large part of the territory may turn CAR into a source of instability in the centre of Africa.
"This is a test for the peace and security architecture in the region," said Comfort Ero, Africa programme director of the International Crisis Group. "The African Union, Economic Community of Central African States, UN and European Union should draw lessons from it in order to identify problems, and improve crisis prevention and management."