Access to proper healthcare and medical treatment has become a hot topic in the past few years. Prices to visit a doctor have skyrocketed, certain medical procedures and become politicized, and the Covid-19 pandemic has many in fear about future outbreaks and what that could mean for the healthcare system. According to the UNHRC, the top three leading causes of morbidity among refugees are malaria, upper, and lower respiratory tract infections (Rabat). The importance of healthcare in forcefully displaced populations must become a higher priority as they not only impact communities of refugees but can also have lasting global impacts.
Both Sudan and the Dominican Republic of Congo have been faced with increased accounts of violence and displacements as of 2023. In April of 2023, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Services (SAS) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted and created a significant humanitarian crisis within the country (“Crisis in Sudan”). The IRC states that this conflict has displaced nearly 12 million people, 10 million of them being internally displaced, as of June 2024. Sudan is experiencing the largest displacement crisis in the world, followed by the Dominican Republic of Congo. At least 15,500 have been killed, while concerns of ethnic cleansing plague the country due to mass killings (“Crisis in Sudan”). Sudan’s healthcare system is in a state of disrepair as the IRC states that more than 70% of healthcare centers in regions affected by the conflict are nonoperational. Malaria and cholera are having devastating effects on the population as displaced peoples are lacking access to basic hygiene and immunizations (“Crisis in Sudan”).
The conflict in the DRC stemmed from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and has engulfed the country since. Many people fled from Rwanda to neighboring DRC, including armed militias. The First and Second Congo Wars resulted from tensions between militia groups and Rwandan and DRC governments, still in response to the Rwandan Genocide (Lawal). M23, formed in 2013, is one of the more active militia groups who claims to fight for ethnic Tutsi’s rights, and recently resurfaced in 2022 (Lawal). Alongside the militant and government entities vying for power, come other national superpowers such as China, Switzerland, and the UAE who own mines in the DRC. Militant groups are often fighting for control of these mines in order to fund their attacks and are accused of child labor (Lawal). As of the end of 2023, 7.3 million individuals have been displaced from DRC, 6.2 million being internally displaced (“Democratic Republic of the Congo Situation”). Approximately 6 million people have been killed since 1994.
Both Sudan and the DRC have been dealing with intense conflicts resulting in millions of internally displaced peoples. However, due to the lack of access to proper hygiene and health facilities, diseases have been devastating the displaced populations. In Sudan a cholera outbreak is occurring that has killed at least 22 people and infected 354 others (“Cholera Outbreak”). According to the World Health Organization, “Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae” (“Cholera”). Cholera is a disease that is associated with poverty and lack of access to proper healthcare. Conflict and global warming both increase the risk of cholera (“Cholera”). In the DRC, mpox (monkeypox) had resurfaced in 2022, and as of August 19th, 2024, the WHO has issued the highest alert level for mpox (Ngorora). According to the WHO, “Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus and can cause a painful rash” (“Mpox”). Mpox can be transmitted through humans by physical contact by someone who was infected, and by animals as well (“Mpox”). These two debilitating diseases will have impacts locally and globally and must be addressed.
Cholera in Sudan rampages on as the ongoing war renders health care facilities inoperable. To add on, seasonal floods have been impacting Sudan and have displaced nearly 118,000 people (“Cholera Outbreak”). Famine is also raging through communities as the country plunges into an economic crisis. In the DRC, relief teams fear that the ongoing war will hinder efforts to combat mpox and will also prevent organizations from being able to properly respond (Ngorora). When medical aid runs out, medical workers are forced to delay treatment, which can result in further debilitation and even death. The lack of visibility given to displaced peoples allows for disease to take over communities and people’s lives. Addressing the lack of medical aid and proper treatment to communities of displaced peoples can ensure that health barriers are addressed for people of all backgrounds. Having practical plans and routines in place allows the issue to be properly addressed and can stop the spread before it impacts too much of the population, and before it spreads across the continent and even globally too. As of August 21st, 2024, the WHO has declared a global mpox emergency (Klein).
Forced displacement distances people from healthcare providers, basic hygiene, and proper housing. Displaced peoples are the most susceptible to illnesses and diseases that may normally be avoidable. World leaders prioritizing aid and medical support to forcibly displaced communities ensures that health barriers can be minimized, ensuring that all people, globally, are able to access proper healthcare.
Work Cited
“Cholera Outbreak in Sudan Killed at Least 22 People, Health Minister Says.” Al Jazeera, 18 Aug. 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/18/cholera-outbreak-in-sudan-killed-at-least-22-people-health-minister-says. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
“Cholera.” World Health Organization, 11 Dec. 2023, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
“Crisis in Sudan: What Is Happening and How to Help.” The IRC, 17 Apr. 2023, www.rescue.org/article/crisis-sudan-what-happening-and-how-help. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
“Democratic Republic of the Congo Situation.” Global Focus, reporting.unhcr.org/operational/situations/democratic-republic-congo-situation. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Klein, Hayden E. “Who Declares Another Mpox Global Emergency-What Americans Should Know.” AJMC, 20 Aug. 2024, www.ajmc.com/view/who-declares-another-mpox-global-emergency-what-americans-should-know. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Lawal, Shola. “A Guide to the Decades-Long Conflict in DR Congo.” Al Jazeera, 21 Feb. 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/a-guide-to-the-decades-long-conflict-in-dr-congo. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
“Mpox (Monkeypox).” World Health Organization, 18 Apr. 2023, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Ngorora, Prosper Heri. “After Covid and Ebola, Doctors Take on Mpox amid Conflict in Eastern DRC.” Al Jazeera, 19 Aug. 2024, www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/8/19/drc-medics-take-on-mpox-after-ebola-covid-conflict. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Rabat, Morocco. “Public Health.” UNHCR US, June 2023, www.unhcr.org/us/what-we-do/protect-human-rights/public-health#:~:text=Based%20on%20UNHCR’s%20Integrated%20Refugee,respiratory%20tract%20infections%20(6%25). Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.