A Snapshot of Poverty, Diseases and war - the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

DRC's fight with the EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) was just settling when WHO declared COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on March 12, 2020. DRC's economic growth decelerated from its pre-COVID level of 4.4% in 2019 to an estimated 0.8% in 2020. This has caused concomitant setbacks in the treatment and control of major health issues like HIV, tuberculosis, measles, rift valley fever and malaria in the country. This, coupled with civil unrest, other infectious diseases and risk to the safety of the health workers is a recipe for a 'perfect storm' waiting to unfold.