The installation of an elected government in 2007 in the Democratic Republic of Congo presents the greatest opportunity since independence for a stable democracy in this country. However, the country faces many serious health challenges after decades of unrest, armed conflicts, and civil war.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of 70 million people and is growing rapidly with a 3.2 percent annual growth rate. Almost 50 percent of the population is under the age of 15, and life expectancy is only about 55 years for women and 49 years for men.
The typical family has about 6 children, and the contraceptive prevalency rate for modern methods among all women is a startlingly low 6 percent. The infant mortality rate for children under five years of age is 9 percent.
The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is low but growing. Among adults ages 15-49, 3.2 percent are infected, and there are an estimated one million people living with HIV/AIDS, 120,000 of whom are under 14 years of age.
Sandra Gass is the new director of DKT’s program in Democratic Republic of Congo. Previously, she directed DKT-Mumbai’s very large and successful program that reached over 600 million Indians. Now, she is in the process of building a reproductive health social marketing program in the heavily populated Kinshasa metropolitan area and directing a pilot program to make misoprostol available for prevention of post-partum hemorrhaging, a leading contributor to maternal mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After a successful first phase, the pilot is now in its second phase.
Recently, a one-day promotional event for OK condoms saw the entire team decked out in OK t-shirts with leaflets and condoms to sample. There was music and dancing and the performance of educational skits. The caravan passed through several populated neighborhoods of Kinshasa, and now the OK condom brand now enjoys enhanced recognition.
In 2011, DKT-Congo sold 5.6 million condoms, a 24 percent increase over the previous year, 24,465 cycles of oral contraceptive pills and over 1,408 IUDs. This translates into 64,107 CYPs.
DKT has now expanded its operations to include Bas Congo province. Further expansion is planned in 2012.
For more information:
DKT Democratic Republic of Congo
Director: Sandra Gass
Address: 1/3691 Militant Ave.
FUNA II Commune de Barambu
Kinshasa, DRC
Tel: 243-1-5167679, 243-1-5167202, 243-1-5167381
E-mail: Sandra@dktinternational.org
