Central African Republic in state of 'chronic medical emergency,' MSF report says

Dec 14 2011

"The Central African Republic (CAR) is in the grips of a chronic medical emergency, according to a report released today by the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)," an MSF press release states. "Four mortality studies carried out by MSF over the past 18 months reveal crude mortality rates in some regions of CAR at three times the emergency threshold of one death per 10,000 people per day, which, according to the World Health Organization, is considered a humanitarian crisis," the press release adds (12/13).

MSF said in the report "that the government and international donors have been cutting back on investments in health, while humanitarian assistance has failed to reduce the widespread medical crisis," the Guardian writes, adding, "MSF attributes the cause of the high mortality rate to the massive prevalence, incidence and mortality rates associated with preventable and treatable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and sleeping sickness" (Tran, 12/13). "A health system eroded by years of political-military instability, enormous structural problems, and insecurity throughout the entire eastern half of the country has created a catastrophic health situation and extremely limited access to basic medical care for the vast majority of the population," a separate article from MSF notes (12/12). "Sean Healey, MSF humanitarian affairs officer and the author of the report, said there were actions that could be taken immediately," such as providing newer, more effective malaria treatments, the Guardian notes (12/13).