Health Care in Central African Republic - Doctors Without Borders 2011

31 December 2010 - Conflict between armed groups and government forces and deliberate attacks on civilians by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) heightened in northeastern Central African Republic (CAR) in 2010. Civilians suffer a range of human rights abuses including killings the looting and burning of villages destruction of fields loss of livelihoods sexual violence and the abduction and forced recruitment of children. Many displaced populations are living in the forest without access to primary health care clean water and other basic needs. Widespread poverty rising food prices and a continuous decline in agricultural production have also had a serious impact on health and nutrition. The UN estimates that 1.6 million people out of a national population of 4 million require humanitarian assistance. With CIDA support Médecins sans frontières (MSF) is addressing the basic health and medical needs of vulnerable and violence-affected populations in the Central African Republic. Activities include: providing emergency surgical services; conducting screening treatment and monitoring of acute malnutrition;undertaking basic reproductive health activities and equiping labour rooms; managing the care of complex deliveries and responding to obstetric emergencies; providing care and treatment for victims of sexual-violence and cases of post-traumatic stress; and testing and treatment of common and severe diseases including malaria.