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Policy makers and practitioners usually focus on three durable solutions for IDPs to overcome protracted displacement; return, resettlement and local integration. Based on empirical realities, this paper asks to what extent translocality can be seen as another solution. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from the city of Bukavu in eastern DRC, we explore how translocality is shaped in practice and how it helps people to overcome protracted displacement. Translocality of Bukavu’s IDPs is mostly oriented towards the community of origin. We argue that this translocality requires mobility or connectivity, or a combination thereof. Mobilisation of resources in the community of origin can then contribute to the livelihoods of urban IDPs, but restraining forces beyond the control of IDPs can make this a risky and costly strategy that is not necessarily sustainable. Although translocality can address the livelihoods challenges related to protracted displacement, it cannot solve all challenges related to displacement. The paper concludes that translocality should – at most – be seen as a semi-durable and partial solution to move out of protractedness rather than as a durable solution to displacement in itself; however, addressing some of the restraining forces could make it a more durable solution.

International audience; Introduction: APOL1, GSTM1 risk variants, and sickle cell trait (SCT) are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) among African Americans (AAs). Nevertheless, such evidence remains scarce in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) populations.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we evaluated the prevalence of these risk variants and their association with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria, and CKD in urban (n = 587) and rural (n = 730) adults from South-Kivu, DR Congo (DRC). Furthermore, we evaluated APOL1 recessive model (high risk [HR] vs. low risk [LR]), SCT carriage, and the active versus inactive GSTM1 genotypes.Results: The frequencies of the APOL1 G1 and G2 alleles were 8.7% and 9.1%, respectively, and 3.2% carried the HR genotype. SCT and GSTM1 null allele frequencies were 3.8% and 51.2%, respectively. APOL1 HR was associated with lower eGFR (P = 0.047, odds ratio [OR] = 4). Individuals with SCT exhibited lower eGFR (P = 0.018), higher albuminuria (P = 0.032), and 2.4× increased risk of CKD (P = 0.031). APOL1 HR and SCT were synergistically associated with lower eGFR (Pinteraction = 0.012). The GSTM1 null allele was not significantly associated with any renal outcomes.Conclusion: Our study highlighted the impact of APOL1 and SCT variants on poorer renal outcomes in the DRC and advocates for further genetic studies in SSA settings.

A survey was conducted online from December 30, 2020 to January 21, 2021, among the population of Lubumbashi city, to assess Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) towards COVID-19. The resource persons were self-selected at random, to have freely accepted to answer the online questionnaire. A total of 487 people (50.7% of women), with an average age of 28.3 ± 7.7 years, were interviewed. Overall, 98.2% said they were aware of COVID-19. This knowledge comes from several sources dominated by television (42.7%). Several respondents (71.9%) admitted to being afraid of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19; while 72.1% hope that this disease will stop one day. Protective practices against COVID-19 contamination are dominated by wearing a surgical mask, social distancing and hand washing (66.9%). Self-medication either with medicinal plants or with conventional drugs are the most recommended practices by the questioned people, in case of symptoms related to COVID-19 (70.6%). Most medicinal plants [predominated byEucalyptus globulusLabill. (45.9%, n = 344)] and conventional drugs [predominantly aspirin (41.5%; n = 41)], cited in this case, are reported in various studies as being used in the management of patients with COVID-19. In general, the KAPs observed vary considerably according to the gender and study level of the questioned people. The level of knowledge about COVID-19 among the population of Lubumbashi seems satisfactory and its management acceptable. Practices to control the COVID-19 symptom are predominated by the use of both conventional and non-conventional medicine. However, sensitization of the population of Lubumbashi for a better knowledge and adequate management of this virus is desirable.

The medical prescription is a very important tool of communication between the physician, the patient and the pharmacist. Ambiguities and omissions of data on prescription can cause errors in drug delivery and administration and so far, endanger patients. This study was undertaken to assess the quality of medical prescription delivered in Mwangeji General Hospital (HGR Mwangeji) and Gécamines Kolwezi staff hospital (HPK-Gécamines), two health facilities in the town of Kolwezi. Medical prescriptions were collected between October 2017 and March 2018, in the pharmacy services of these two hospitals. The quality was assessed based on the presence or not of mandatory administrative and pharmacotherapeutic information. The results revealed very alarming rates of omission of legal and mandatory mentions concerning: (i) the identity of patients, their weight 92.3%, their sex 54.9% and their age 53.9%; (ii) the identity of prescribers, the date of issue of the document 97.8%, the signature 93.4% and the name 82.1%; (iii) pharmacotherapeutic data, duration of treatment 95.9% and route of administration 93,7%. Antibiotics were the most prescribed drugs in the two hospitals; 26,6% at HPK Gécamines and 23 at HGR Mwangeji. The quality of medical prescriptions at Mwangeji and HPK Gécamines hospitals, could lead to wrong or inadequate medical interventions with a negative impact on the quality of care administered to patients.

The Albertine Rift, which is part of the East African Rift, is a region prone to repetitive slope instability due to its intense rainfall, high weathering rate, and consistent seismic activities. Although this has led to several publications about landslides in the past. Unfortunately, not many attempts at gathering systematic data on landslide research in the western Albertine rift have been made so far. This study analyses the research carried out in landslides in the Albertine rift during 2003-2019 on several parameters including the title, authors, institutions, publication year, keywords, the names of journals publishing the articles, and language. The majority of papers were written in French (62%). Geo-Eco-Trop journal has published the greatest number of papers (46%). The majority of authors (67%) produced only one paper. Moreover, Moeyersons had the highest co-authorship connections (15), followed by Dille, Trefois, and Nobil with 14, 10, and 7 connections respectively. 13 institutions from 6 countries contributed to the researches. The most producing institutions were Royal Museum for Central Africa, followed by the “Université Officielle de Bukavu”. 49 Keywords were used, among which, 43 (88%) appeared only once and 6 (12%) appeared twice. The most frequently occurring words are landslides and the tropical environment.

For a long time, vegetation has provided man with remedies to deal with his health problems such as erectile dysfunction. This study was conducted to inventory plants and recipes used in traditional medicine in Kampemba (Lubumbashi) in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions.This descriptive ethnobotanical survey was carried out between October 2017 and June 2018. It was conducted by direct interview using a guide questionnaire with 34 practitioners of traditional medicine (PMT). The 34 PMT consulted were mainly men (sex ratio Man / Women = 2.09) aged 49 ± 11 years. They provided information on 51 recipes and 33 plants among which only 21 species have been scientifically identified.Albizia adianthifolia(Schum.) W. Wight (Fabaceae) andPericopsis angolensis(Baker) Meeuwen (Fabaceae) are the most cited species. These 21 plants are mostly trees (57%) belonging to 12 families dominated by Fabaceae (21.2%) and indicated in 22 pathologies dominated by sexual impotence with a fidelity level (FL) of 0.59. From these plants derive 37 recipes from which the root is the most used organ (75.7%). The decoction (45.9%) and the drink (78.4%) are respectively the methods of preparation and administration route most requested. This study reports for the first time the aphrodisiac use of 8 plants among which,Schrebera trichocladaWelw (Oleaceae),Strychnos stuhlmanniiGilg (Loganiaceae) andTerminalia mollisMA Lawson (Combretaceae) have the highest fidelity index (FL) (FL> 0.1). Kampemba PMTs know and use aphrodisiac plants whose investigations deserve to be continued to validate their traditional knowledge.

In the last two years there has been a proliferation of political documentaries by African filmmakers focussing on ongoing social movements, social unrest, and different forms of resistance. Though there is a tradition of documentary film making, what is specific about this recent wave of films is that they engage actively with contemporary politics, especially by taking sides with the discontent youth. In this study, four films from different countries are presented in order to analyse their specific approaches und perspectives underlying their narratives of the events. The analytical tools elaborated in the field of social movement studies were helpful for this purpose as they gave further insight into differences and overlapping concerns between academic and visual research.

Land disputes in conflict-affected settings are often considered as a security threat, to be addressed through mediation and strengthening the rule of law. This overlooks the roots of land conflicts in longer-term processes of agrarian development and worsening conditions of land and labour access. A case-study of a dispute between former plantation labourers and concession holders in eastern DR Congo shows mediation's incapacity to counter perceived structural injustices in land access and difficulties in making a living. While dispute resolution may temporarily calm down tensions, it cannot substitute for fundamental political choices vis-a-vis wider questions of agrarian development and justice.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently emerged as an alternative to morphological and molecular tools to identify tick species. In this study, we set out to evaluate and confirm the ability of MALDI-TOF MS to identify different species of ticks collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and preserved in 70% ethanol. A total of 575 ticks, of which 530 were collected from domestic pigs and 45 from wild animals, were subjected to MALDI-TOF MS analysis to evaluate the intraspecies reproducibility and interspecies specificity of MS profiles obtained from the different species. Morphologically, the ticks belonged to seven different species, namely Rhipicephalus complanatus, Rhipicephalus congolensis, Haemaphysalis muhsamae, Ixodes cumulatimpunctatus, Amblyomma exornatum, Amblyomma compressum and an unidentified Rhipicephalus sp. A total of 535/575 (93%) of the spectra obtained were of good enough quality to be used for our analyses. Our home-made MALDI-TOF MS arthropod database was upgraded with spectra obtained from between one and five randomly selected specimens per species. For these reference specimens, molecular identification of the ticks was also made using 16S, 12S rDNA genes and the Cox1 mtDNA gene sequencing. The remaining good quality spectra were then queried against the upgraded MALDI-TOF MS database, showing that 100% were in agreement with the morphological identification, with logarithmic score values (LSVs) between 1.813 and 2.51. The consistency between our morphological, molecular and MALDI-TOF MS identification confirms the capability and precision of MALDI-TOF MS for tick identification. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10493-021-00629-z.

Grootaert, Patrick, Velde, Isabella Van de (2021): Understanding the tangled taxonomy of the genus Pseudohercostomus Stackelberg, 1931 (Insecta: Diptera: Dolichopodidae) with description of new species from Singapore and DR Congo. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 69: 324-335, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2021-0055

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, is closer than ever to being eliminated as a public health problem. The main narratives for the impressive drop in cases allude to drugs discovery and global financing and coordination. They raise questions about the relationship between well-funded international clinical research and much less well-endowed national disease control programmes. They need to be complemented with a solid understanding of how (and why) national programmes that do most of the frontline work are structured and operate. We analyse archives and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and explore the role the national HAT programme played in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country that consistently accounts for over 60% of HAT cases worldwide. The programme grew strongly between 1996, when it was barely surviving, and 2016. Our political economy lens highlights how the leadership of the programme managed to carve itself substantial autonomy within the health system, forged new international alliances, and used clinical trials and international research to not only improve treatment and diagnosis but also to enhance its under-resourced disease control system. The DRC, a country often described as 'fragile', stands out as having an efficient national HAT programme that made full use of a window of opportunity that arose in the early 2000s when international researchers and donors responded to the ambition to simplify disease control and make HAT treatment more humane. We discuss the sustainability of both the vertical approach embodied in the DRC's national HAT programme and its funding model at a time when the number of HAT cases is at an all-time low and better integration within the health system is urgent. Our study provides insights for collaborations between unevenly-resourced international research efforts and national health programmes.

Hypertension (HT) is the largest contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality and is characterized by high prevalence and low awareness, treatment, and control rates in sub-Saharan Africa. May Measurement Month (MMM) is an international campaign intended to increase awareness of high blood pressure (BP) among the population and advocate for its importance to the health authorities. This study aimed to increase awareness of raised BP in a country where its nationwide prevalence is yet unestablished. Investigators trained and tested how to use the campaign materials, collected participants’ demographic data, lifestyle habits, and obtained from each one three BP measurements. Hypertension was defined as a BP ≥140/90 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive medication. Of the 18 719 screened (mean age 41 years; 61.4% men), 26.1% were found to be hypertensive of whom 46.3% were aware of their condition and 29.6% were taking antihypertensive medication. The control rate of HT was 43.0% in those on medication and 12.7% among all hypertensive respondents. Comorbidities found were—diabetes (3.3%), overweight/obesity (35.5%); and a previous stroke and a previous myocardial infarction were reported by 1.2% and 2.0%, respectively. Imputed age- and sex-standardized BP was higher in treated hypertensive individuals (135/85 mmHg) than those not treated (124/78 mmHg). Based on linear regression models adjusted for age and sex (and an interaction) and antihypertensive medication, stroke survivors, those who drank once or more per week (vs. never/rarely), and overweight/obese participants were associated with higher BP. MMM18 results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo corroborated the high prevalence of HT in Kinshasa screenees with low rates of treatment and control. Extension of the MMM campaign to other parts of the country is advisable.

Background African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and severe hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic pigs. The analysis of variable regions of African swine fever virus (ASFV) genome led to more genotypic and serotypic information about circulating strains. The present study aimed at investigating the genetic diversity of ASFV strains in symptomatic pigs in South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Materials and methods Blood samples collected from 391 ASF symptomatic domestic pigs in 6 of 8 districts in South Kivu were screened for the presence of ASFV, using a VP73 gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the universal primer set PPA1-PPA2. To genotype the strains, we sequenced and compared the nucleotide sequences of PPA-positive samples at three loci: the C-terminus of B646L gene encoding the p72 protein, the E183L gene encoding the p54 protein, and the central hypervariable region (CVR) of the B602L gene encoding the J9L protein. In addition, to serotype and discriminate between closely related strains, the EP402L (CD2v) gene and the intergenic region between the I73R and I329L genes were analyzed. Results ASFV was confirmed in 26 of 391 pigs tested. However, only 19 and 15 PPA-positive samples, respectively, were successfully sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed for p72 (B646L) and p54 (E183L). All the ASFV studied were of genotype X. The CVR tetrameric repeat clustered the ASFV strains in two subgroups: the Uvira subgroup (10 TRS repeats, AAAABNAABA) and another subgroup from all other strains (8 TRS repeats, AABNAABA). The phylogenetic analysis of the EP402L gene clustered all the strains into CD2v serogroup 7. Analyzing the intergenic region between I73R and I329L genes revealed that the strains were identical but contained a deletion of a 33-nucleotide internal repeat sequence compared to ASFV strain Kenya 1950. Conclusion ASFV genotype X and serogroup 7 was identified in the ASF disease outbreaks in South Kivu province of DRC in 2018–2019. This represents the first report of ASFV genotype X in DRC. CVR tetrameric repeat sequences clustered the ASFV strains studied in two subgroups. Our finding emphasizes the need for improved coordination of the control of ASF.

Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a major constraint to worker performance and health. However, research on their prevalence and associated factors among workers at gold mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is insufficient. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of WRMSDs among workers of a Gold Mine in South Kivu, DRC. Methods Cross sectional data on prevalence of WRMSDs and risk factors was collected using a modified Nordic questionnaire and upper limb Core QX checklist from 196 workers of a gold mine. WRMSDs were defined as pain or injury(ies) or discomfort, numbness or limitation of movement in the musculoskeletal system at any time in the past 12 months which lasted at least 24 h. These had to be either induced or aggravated by work and circumstances of its performance. A generalised linear model of the Poison family with link log and robust error variances was used to generate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the factors associated with WRMSDs. The effect of individual, ergonomic and psychosocial factors on WRMSDs were investigated while controlling for known confounders. Results Most workers were males 187 (95.4%) and their age ranged between 23 and 60 years with mean of 36.3 years. Of the 196 workers, 49 (25.0%) reported having at least one WRMSD during the previous 12 months. WRMSDs with highest occurrence rate were the lower back pain (14.8%), followed by thighs/hip pain (9.2%) and shoulder pain (8.2%). Prolonged heavy lifting/shovelling shovelling (PR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.32, 3.24] and longer work shifts (> 9 h) (PR = 3.56, 95% CI [1.76, 16.58]) were predictive for WRMSDs while jobs with low demands were protective against WRMSDs (PR = 0.18, 95% CI [0.08, 0.44]). Conclusion The prevalence of WRMSDs is high and associated with prolonged heavy lifting/shovelling, longer work shifts and job demands. We recommend lowering workload and job demands and improving work ergonomics to mitigate and prevent the WRMSDs among workers in goldmines.

Lianas, woody climbing plants, are increasing in many tropical forests, with cascading effects such as decreased forest productivity, carbon sequestration, and resilience. Possible causes are increasing forest fragmentation, CO2 fertilization, and drought. Determining the primary changing species and their underlying vital rates help explain the liana trends. We monitored over 17,000 liana stems for 13 yr in 20 ha of old‐growth forest in the Congo Basin, and here we report changes and vital rates for the community and for the 87 most abundant species. The total liana abundance declined from 15,007 lianas in 1994 to 11,090 in 2001 to 9,978 in 2007. Over half (52%) of the evaluated species have significantly declining populations, showing that the community response is not the result of changes in a few dominant species only. Species density change (i.e., the change in number of individuals per hectare) decreased with mortality rate, tended to increase with recruitment rate, but was independent of growth rate. Species change was independent of functional characteristics important for plant responses to fragmentation, CO2, and drought, such as lifetime light requirements, climbing and dispersal mechanism, and leaf size. These results indicate that in Congo lianas do not show the reputed global liana increase, but rather a decline, and that elements of the reputed drivers underlying global liana change do not apply to this DR Congo forest. We suggest warfare in the Congo Basin to have decimated the elephant population, leading to less disturbance, forest closure, and declining liana numbers. Our results imply that, in this tropical forest, local causes (i.e., disturbance) override more global causes of liana change resulting in liana decline, which sharply contrasts with the liana increase observed elsewhere.

Objective Former combatants are exposed to multiple traumatic stressors during conflict situations and usually participate in perpetration of violence. Ongoing perpetration of violence in post conflict areas, linked to mental health problems and appetitive aggression, destabilises peace keeping efforts. The aim of this study is to investigate lifetime exposure to violence and the relationship between this exposure and mental health and current violent behaviour in a sample of female former child soldiers with a history of perpetration of violence in Eastern DR Congo. Methods 98 female former child soldiers who had been abducted and forcibly recruited during the M23 insurgency (2012–2014) were assessed for lifetime exposure to trauma including perpetration of violence, clinical outcomes (PTSD and appetitive aggression), and current violent behaviour. Results Female former child soldiers had been exposed to extremely high levels of trauma including perpetration of violence and presented with high levels of mental health problems. Linear regression models showed that current violent behaviour was predicted by both PTSD and appetitive aggression. Conclusions Trauma exposure predicts ongoing perpetration of violence post conflict via the resulting mental health problems. The findings imply that if PTSD and appetitive aggression symptoms are successfully treated, ongoing violent behaviour in the community post conflict will also decrease.

Context Childhood ocular disorders can seriously impact on development and education, future employment opportunities and quality of life, their consequences are especially severe in low resource settings. There is a lack of data on pattern and prevalence of ocular morbidities among children in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Objective The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and magnitude of childhood ocular disorders in children in Kinshasa, the capital city of DRC. Methods A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2017. Children aged less than 16 years old were screened by volunteers in households and those with ocular pathologies were examined by two ophthalmologists. Prevalence and pattern of ocular diseases were determined. Results A total of 4307 households were visited by the surveyors and 13,197 children were screened. Ocular pathologies were diagnosed among 399 children. Girls represented 50.7% of the children and the mean age ± SD was 9.2 ± 4.1 years. The overall prevalence of ocular morbidity in our population was 3.6% [95% CI 3.3–3.9]. Allergic conjunctivitis was the most frequent pathology (56.2%) followed by refractive errors (27.4%) and strabismus (5%). Age of children was the only risk factor with a significant impact on the frequency of ocular pathology. Forty-five percent of children had never benefited from any treatment, self-medication, and recourse to traditional treatments concerned respectively 18.%, and 2.3% of children. Conclusion Childhood ocular morbidity in Kinshasa city was dominated by allergic conjunctivitis and refractive errors. The frequency of these conditions varies depending on the age of the children. Very few parents consult medical staff when their children have ocular problems, ignorance and limited financial resources are the principal barriers to consult.

This study aimed at assessing the land use and land cover change and its effect on the gully expansion in an agricultural and woodland tropical watershed. We used the case study of Luzinzi watershed in South-Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where gullies are in development. We used very high-resolution (VHR) images downloaded from Google Earth and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) images. ArcGIS 10.7 software helped for spatial analysis and images georeferencing while ENVI 5.3 tools were used for classification. The gullies were then digitized and characterized to determine their width, length, depth, surface and volume. The digital elevation model (DEM) was used to determine the contributing area as well as the slope at the gully headcut. The land use at the headcuts and in the gully was extracted from the different land uses obtained from classified images and validated by field measures. Results showed significant changes in land use and land cover throughout the watershed; changes that affected gully expansion. From 2011 to 2020, number of gullies passed from 38 to 201. These gullies were increasing not only in number but also in characteristics such as gully length and headcut. Their volumes increased from year to year in the same trend as woodland and forest reduction. Forest played important role in gully stabilization: gullies located in forest presented a linear retreat rate (~4.6 m) than those in other land uses (~2.4 m) from 2010 to 2020. The forest cover reduced gully surface at linear rate while the depth rate still increased. A forest cover of ~10% led to a gully expansion of ~700 m3 yr−1 and reduced to 300-400 m3 yr−1 with 30% forest coverage. Thus, forest cover at the gully headcut and in the contributing area helped to stabilize gullies. The permanent maintenance of forest and woodland covers as well as the reduction of anthropogenic activities in gullies are to be promoted at the watershed scale along with other measures to contribute to effective land resource management in the region.

This article examines so-called colonial discourses in Belgium related to the former Sub-Saharan colony owned by Leopold II of Belgium which today is known as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) or the Congo-Kinshasa. Having introduced the colonial history of the DR Congo from the 15thcentury until 1910, the study starts with a discussion of Van den Braembussche’s concept of a ‘historical taboo’ and four ways of engaging with such implicit interdictions. Finally, an empirical analysis of colonial discourses in Belgium from the 1890s until today will be presented in conjunction with Belgium’s linguistic-cultural division, taking into account age-related divergence.

Highlights • Report of a randomised trial on an mHealth intervention in 3 low income countries. • There was no additional effect of the text message self-management support. • Coverage, routine care and disease progression interfere with the potential impact., Objective mHealth interventions have the potential to facilitate self-management. This TEXT4DSM study implemented a mobile phone intervention in existing diabetes programmes in three low- and middle-income countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia, and the Philippines). Research design and methods Sub-studies with a similar randomised controlled trial design were conducted in three different countries. Each sub-study included 480 adults with diabetes. Subjects were randomised to receive either routine care or routine care plus text message self-management support. The primary outcome was the difference in the proportion of subjects with well-controlled diabetes after 2 years. Results Baseline and 2-year HbA1c measurements were available for 781 individuals. After 2 years, the proportion of subjects with controlled HbA1c was 2.8% higher in the intervention group than in the control group (difference not statistically significant). In the logistic regression model, the odds ratio for having controlled diabetes after the intervention was 1.1, after adjusting for baseline HbA1c level, sex, receiving insulin treatment, and participating in the routine programme. The HbA1c dynamics over time differed between programmes; the number of people with controlled diabetes tended to increase in DR Congo and decrease in Cambodia. Conclusion This study was the first to test the same mHealth intervention in different countries. The finding that text messages did not show an additional effect on diabetes control implied that expectations about mHealth should be cautious. The degree of coverage, the quality of the routine programme, and the progression of disease can interfere with the expected impact. Trial registration: ISRCTN registry (86247213).

In its most recent history, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken central stage in two interstate wars and multiple civil conflicts with trans-border dynamics. Somewhat less well known is the fact that the DRC is also a prime example of a different, continent-wide African problematic: the precarity of land rights and resulting conflicts over land tenure. This paper is part of a study that explores interactions between tenure conflicts at the micro-level and the larger ethnic, civil and interstate conflicts of the region. In its first part, the article discusses conflict study approaches from various disciplines and the published literature and makes the case for a multi-scalar critical geopolitical conflict analysis. The second part presents case studies, the survey questionnaire and interview based fieldwork results that reveal the near ubiquity of tenure conflicts in North Kivu and show the causes of these conflicts and how they tend to proliferate at the rural grassroots base and subsequently extend upwards., Dans son histoire récente, la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) a été au centre de deux guerres interétatiques et de plusieurs conflits civils avec d’importantes répercussions transfrontalières. Quelque peu moins connu est le cas de figure que constitue la RDC quant à une problématique presque omniprésente en Afrique : l’insécurité foncière et les conflits qui en découlent. Cet article fait partie d’une étude qui explore les interactions entre des conflits fonciers à micro-échelle et des conflits ethniques, civils et interétatiques de la région. Dans la première partie, l’article présente différentes approches d’études de conflits, leur littérature, et il propose une analyse géopolitique critique. La deuxième partie présente des résultats d’un travail de terrain au Nord Kivu qui démontrent la quasi-ubiquité des conflits fonciers, leurs causes et la façon dont ils ont tendance à proliférer et se propager à partir de leurs bases rurales., En su historia reciente, la República Democrática del Congo (RDC) ha sido el centro de dos guerras interestatales y de varios conflictos civiles con importantes repercusiones fronterizas. La RCD, como caso de figura problemático casi omnipresente en África: la inseguridad de la propiedad inmueble y los conflictos resultantes, son menos conocidos. Este artículo concierne un estudio que explora las interacciones entre conflictos de propiedades de bienes raíces a micro-escala y conflictos étnicos, civiles y interestatales de la región. En la primera parte, se presentan diferentes enfoques del estudio de conflictos, sus fuentes documentales y se propone un análisis crítico geopolítico. En la segunda, se presentan los resultados de un trabajo de terreno en Nord Kivu que muestran la casi ubicuidad de los conflictos de propiedad de bienes raíces, de sus causas y de la manera como tienden a propagarse, a partir de sus bases rurales.

Background: Novel strategies are needed to increase retention in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services. We have recently shown that small incremental cash transfers conditional on attending clinic resulted in increased retention along the PMTCT cascade. However whether women who receive incentives to attend clinic visits are as adherent to antiretrovirals (ARV) as those who do not was unknown. Objective: To determine whether HIV-infected women who received incentives to remain in care were as adherent to antiretroviral treatment and achieved the same level of viral suppression at 6 weeks postpartum as those who did not receive incentives but also remained in care. Methods: Newly diagnosed HIV-infected women at less than or equal to 32 weeks gestational age were recruited at antenatal care clinics in Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo. Women were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention or control group. The intervention group received compensation ($5 plus $1 increment at each subsequent visit) conditional on attending scheduled clinic visits and accepting offered PMTCT services whereas the control group received usual care. The proportion of participants who remained in care were fully adherent (took all their pills at each visit) or with undetectable viral load at 6 weeks postpartum were compared across group. Results: Among 433 women randomized (216 in intervention group and 217 in control group) 332 (76.7%) remained in care at 6 weeks postpartum including 174 (80.6%) in the intervention group and 158 (72.8%) in the control group (P = 0.04). Data on pill count were available for 297 participants (89.5%) including 156 (89.7%) and 141 (89.2%) in the intervention and control groups respectively; 69.9% (109/156) and 68.1% (96/141) in the intervention and control groups had perfect adherence [risk difference 0.02; 95% CI: -0.06 to 0.09]. Viral load results were available for 171 (98.3%) and 155 (98.7%) women in the intervention and control groups respectively; 66.1% (113/171) in the intervention group and 69.7% (108/155) in the control group had an undetectable viral load (risk difference -0.04; 95% CI: -0.14 to 0.07). Results were similar after adjusting for marital status age education baseline CD4 count viral load gestational age and initial ARV regimen. Conclusions: Although the provision of cash incentives to HIV-infected pregnant women led to higher retention in care at 6 weeks postpartum among those retained in care adherence to ARVs and virologic suppression did not differ by study group. Copyright © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health Inc.. Open Access.

Une quantification de la dynamique spatio-temporelle de l\'urbanisation est nécessaire pour appréhender la morphologie urbaine et ses effets écologiques de manière à fournir des informations détaillées en vue d’une planification urbaine durable. Ce travail a pour objectif de caractériser la croissance spatiale urbaine de la ville de Lubumbashi à partir de l’analyse de six images satellitaires SPOT. Excepté pour la période de 1996 à 2002, la ville de Lubumbashi a enregistré un taux moyen annuel de croissance urbaine élevé par rapport à celui enregistré dans d\'autres villes d\'Afrique sub-saharienne. Entre 1989 et 2014, la proportion du bâti a triplé dans le paysage en passant de 6 % à 20 %. Nos résultats indiquent que l\'urbanisation à Lubumbashi a présenté un modèle complexe de diffusion-coalescence. Une des principales causes de cette perturbation est la croissance démographique rapide couplée à la gestion inappropriée de l’expansion urbaine., Characterization of the Spatial Urban Growth of the city of Lubumbashi (Haut-Katanga, D.R. Congo) between 1989 and 2014.A quantification of the spatio-temporal dynamics of urbanization is crucial to apprehend urban morphology and its ecological effects, in order to support sustainable urban planning. This study aimed at understanding the spatial urban growth of Lubumbashi city based on the analysis of six SPOT satellites images. With the exception of the 1996-2002 period, Lubumbashi city underwent a high average annual growth rate exceeding that observed for other cities in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1989 and 2014, the built-up percentage increased from 6 % to 20 %. Our results suggest that the urbanization of Lubumbashi city followed a complex diffusion-coalescence model. The main reason of this perturbation is the combination of the rapid demographic growth with an inappropriate urban growth management.

Background The serum ferritin assay is recommended in Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) patients receiving regular transfusions. According to several authors, elevated iron stores indicating iron chelation corresponds to hyperferritinemia ≥500 ng/ml, and becomes detectable after twenty blood transfusions. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of elevated iron stores and identify associated risk factors in a case series of Steady state SCA Congolese children. Material and methods Serum ferritin was assayed in Steady state SCA children followed in 2 specialized hospitals in Kinshasa. Elevated iron stores was defined as serum ferritin level ≥ 500 ng/ml, and the associated risk factors were identified using univariate analysis. Results Seventy patients (median age 9 years, 56% boys, 53% receiving hydroxyurea) were selected in the study. Serum ferritin levels ranged from 24 to 2584 ng / ml with 21.4% of children having elevated iron stores. Mean levels of LDH, indirect bilirubin, plasma free Hb and CRP were similar between the 2 groups whereas history of polytransfusions (> 3 during the last year) was more frequent among patients with elevated iron stores (73% vs. 44%, p = 0.078). Receiving > 3 transfusions in a year vs. 0 was the main risk factor associated with elevated iron stores [OR 6.17 (95% CI: 1.81–20.96)]. Conclusion In SCA children, hyperferritinemia requiring iron chelation is most strongly related to blood transfusion. This situation concerned almost one in five children in present study; this shows the magnitude of the problem which is underestimated.

Based on an exploration of how branhamist Christians in Kinshasa represent and live with kindoki (witchcraft), this article attempts to bring science and technology in the debate about witchcraft. The branhamist community is divided among groups who jettison ICT outright, while others formulate a pedagogy of responsibility and awareness of the potentially immoral nature of ICT. The ethnographic material leads me to call for more attention to connectivity, or the accessibility to social and spiritual others, as an important mode in emic theories of witchcraft. Finally, in order to do justice to the heterogeneity of objects that can trigger witchcraft – such as ancestral objects but also ICT goods –, I propose the notion of “the witchcraft complex.” full access to this open access publication: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-56068-7#editorsandaffiliations ispartof: Pentecostalism and Witchcraft. Spiritual Warfare in Africa and Melanesia pages:115-144 ispartof: Contemporary Anthropology of Religion pages:115-144 status: published

Masculinity studies are fairly new and young churchgoers are an under-researched group in the current Congolese church context. In response to this knowledge gap, this paper attempts to explore discourses of young churchgoers from deprived areas of Kinshasa regarding masculinity and sexuality in the era of HIV. A series of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with unmarried young churchgoers from the Salvation Army, Protestant and Revival churches. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using discourse analysis. Five main discourses emerged: ‘we are aware of the church message on sex’, ‘young men need sex’, ‘young women need money’, ‘to use or not to use condoms’ and ‘we trust in the church message’. Although all informants knew and heard church messages against premarital sex, many of them were sexually active. The perception was that young men were engaged in sexual activities with multiple partners as a result of sexual motivations surrounding masculinity and sexual potency, while young women sought multiple partners through transactional and intergenerational sex for economic reasons. These sexual practices of young people conflicted with church messages on sexual abstinence and faithfulness. However, a small number of participants challenged current gender norms and suggested alternative ways of being a man or a woman. To elucidate these alternatives, we suggest that church youths and church leaders might take concrete actions to deconstruct misconceptions about being men. In this way, they can possibly enhance a frank and fruitful dialogue on sex, sexuality and gender to promote positive masculinities and constructive partnerships to prevent HIV.Keywords: masculinity, sexuality, young churchgoers, HIV prevention, gender equality, DR CongoDans le contexte actuel des e´glises Congolaises, les e´tudes relatives a` la masculinite´ sont presque re´centes et les jeunes chre´tiens constituent un groupe d’individus qui ne font pas l’objet des recherches scientifiques approfondies. En re´ponse a` cette insuffisance de connaissances dans le contexte a` VIH, le pre´sent article tente d’explorer les discours relatifs a` la masculinite´ et a` la sexualite´ des jeunes chre´tiens issus des quartiers de´favorise´s de Kinshasa. Une se´rie de 16 interviews semi-structure´es ont e´te´ mene´s aupre`s des jeunes chre´tiens ce´libataires appartenant a` l’Arme´e du Salut, aux e´glises Protestantes et a` celles du Re´veil du Congo. Les interviews ont e´te´ enregistre´es et analyse´es en utilisant la me´thode du discours. Cinq discours ont e´merge´ notamment: « Nous connaissons le message des e´glises au sujet du sexe », « les garc¸ons ont besoin des rapports sexuels », « les filles ont besoin d’argent », « faudrait-il utiliser ou ne pas utiliser les condoms » et « nous croyons dans le message des e´glises ». Alors que tous les participants connaissaient le message des e´glises qui interdisent les rapports sexuels pre´maritaux, beaucoup d’entre eux e´taient de´ja` sexuellement actifs. Les garc¸ons ont e´te´ perc¸us comme des personnes qui ont des rapports sexuels avec plusieurs partenaires concomitants pour prouver leur masculinite´ et leur puissance sexuelle. Les filles chercheraient a` avoir des rapports sexuels mercantiles et interge´ne´rationnels avec des partenaires multiples a` des fins e´conomiques. Ces pratiques sexuelles des jeunes s’opposent aux discours des e´glises qui promeuvent l’abstinence sexuelle et la fide´lite´. Cependant, quelques participants ont remis en cause les normes courantes du genre et ont sugge´re´ des alternatives en ce qui concerne l’identite´ des hommes et des femmes. Pour les e´lucider, nous proposons que les jeunes chre´tiens et les leaders des e´glises puissent mener des actions concre`tes dans le but de de´construire les conceptions errone´es de ce que veut dire eˆtre homme. Ce faisant, ils peuvent probablement maximiser les chances d’un dialogue franc et productif en ce qui concerne le sexe, la sexualite´ et le genre afin de promouvoir la masculinite´ positive et le partenariat constructif, susceptibles de pre´venir l’infection a` VIH.Mots cle´s: masculinite´, sexualite´, jeunes chre´tiens, pre´vention du VIH, e´galite´ du genre, RD Congo

Background Between 2009 and 2012, malaria cases diagnosed in a Médecins sans Frontières programme have increased fivefold in Baraka, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The cause of this increase is not known. An in vivo drug efficacy trial was conducted to determine whether increased treatment failure rates may have contributed to the apparent increase in malaria diagnoses. Methods In an open-randomized non-inferiority trial, the efficacy of artesunate–amodiaquine (ASAQ) was compared to artemether–lumefantrine (AL) for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in 288 children aged 6–59 months. Included children had directly supervised treatment and were then followed for 42 days with weekly clinical and parasitological evaluations. The blood samples of children found to have recurring parasitaemia within 42 days were checked by PCR to confirm whether or not this was due to reinfection or recrudescence (i.e. treatment failure). Results Out of 873 children screened, 585 (67 %) were excluded and 288 children were randomized to either ASAQ or AL. At day 42 of follow up, the treatment efficacy of ASAQ was 78 % before and 95 % after PCR correction for re-infections. In the AL-arm, treatment efficacy was 84 % before and 99.0 % after PCR correction. Treatment efficacy after PCR correction was within the margin of non-inferiority as set for this study. Fewer children in the AL arm reported adverse reactions. Conclusions ASAQ is still effective as a treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Baraka, South Kivu, DRC. In this region, AL may have higher efficacy but additional trials are required to draw this conclusion with confidence. The high re-infection rate in South-Kivu indicates intense malaria transmission. Trial registration NCT02741024 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1444-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:In the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), civilians have been heavily exposed to traumatic stressors. Traumatizing experiences cumulatively heighten the risk for trauma-related disorders, and with it affect cognitive and psycho-social functioning.Objectives:We aimed at investigating the association between trauma-related disorders and cognitive and psycho-social functioning and hypothesized that PTSD symptom severity would negatively correlate with executive functioning, working memory and psycho-social functioning in everyday life.Method:In total, 323 Congolese refugees (mean age: 31.3 years) who arrived in the Ugandan Nakivale refugee settlement after January 2012 were assessed regarding their exposure to traumatic events, PTSD symptom severity (posttraumatic symptom scale interview), executive functioning (Tower of London), working memory performance (Corsi block tapping task) and psycho-social dysfunctioning (Luo functioning scale).Results:Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a significant negative association between PTSD symptom severity and working memory (β = -0.32, p 0.05).Conclusion:Trauma survivors not only suffer from the core PTSD symptoms but also from impaired cognitive functioning. PTSD symptom severity seems furthermore to be related to impaired psycho-social functioning. Our findings suggest that trauma-related mental health problems may heighten the risk for poverty and lack of prospect and further aggravate the consequences of war and conflict. published

Background Unintended pregnancy is an important reproductive health problem in both developed and developing countries and is most prominent in low-middle income countries. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the total fertility rate is high at 5.9 births per women, and a mother’s probabily of dying at an age between 15–49 years is also high (53 %). Women with unintended pregnancies are less likely to utilize available necessary services for their own health and the health of their children. Therefore, unintended pregnancy is a crucial factor of maternal health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study aims to identify the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and its associated factors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Methods Data were collected from June 20 to 29, 2014 among women aged 15–49 years who had children younger than 5 years old. The women were from a representative sample of 602 households. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between the dependent variable and the explanatory variables. Results Unintended pregnancy was reported in 51.4 % of the respondents. Multivariate logistic regression showed an association between education status (AOR, 3.4; CI, 1.21–9.90) and age of the last child (AOR, 5.17; CI, 1.23–21.70) with an unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancies were low among women who owner a cell phone (AOR, 0.18; CI, 0.47–0.73) and those who were aware of family planning method (AOR 0.20; CI, 0.06–0.60). Conclusion The unintended pregnancy rate high and was significantly associated with female education, previous use of family planning methods, ownership of cell phone, and age of the last child. Maternal health interventions should focus on increasing family planning service utilization, awareness of family planning, and access to communication and income.

The genus Telmaturgus Mik is reviewed. It comprises eighteen species including a new species Telmaturgus congensis sp. n. from DR Congo. A check list of species of this genus and a revised key to Afrotropical species are provided. The following new combinations are proposed: Lamprochromus belousovi (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n. (from Sympycnus), Telmaturgus abidjanensis (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. garambaensis (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. kenyensis (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. kovali (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. kwandensis (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. mastigomyoformis (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. munroi (Curran, 1925), comb. n., T. pseudoviolaceus (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. triseta (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n., T. uzungwa (Grichanov, 2008), comb. n. (all from Sympycnus).

Background Malaria cases were estimated to 207 million in 2013. One of the problems of malaria control is the emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum strains that become resistant to almost all drugs available. Monitoring drug resistance is essential for early detection and subsequent prevention of the spread of drug resistance by timely changes of treatment policy. This review was performed to gather all data available on P. falciparum molecular resistance in DR Congo, as baseline for future assessments. Methods The search for this review was undertaken using the electronic databases PubMed and Google Scholar using the terms “malaria”, “Congo”, “resistance”, “molecular”, “antimalarial”, “efficacy”. Articles were classified based on year of collecting, year of publication, sample size and characteristics, molecular markers analysed and polymorphisms detected. Results Thirteen articles were included and five genes have been analysed in these studies: pfcrt, pfdhps, pfdhfr, pfmdr1 and K13-propeller. The majority of studies included were not representative of the whole country. Conclusion This systematic review demonstrates the lack of molecular resistance studies in DRC. Only 13 studies were identified in almost 15 years. The MOH must implement a national surveillance system for monitoring malaria drug resistance and this surveillance should be conducted frequently and country-representative.

The Human Development Index in 2013 ranked Democratic Republic of the Congo 186th out of 187 in the United Nations Development Programme. The categorization came as a result of the deteriorating conflict that pushed the country towards a failed state realm. According to the 2015 Fragility Index of thePeaceFund, Democratic Republic of the Congo was among the nations ranked on the high alert (highly vulnerable andvolatile), consequently to as a result of non-provision of basic services. In addition to the deteriorating growth and development trajectory, infrastructural and systems failures have unabatedly limited service provision, resulting in inadequacies in humanitarian interventions. The study aims to evaluate the gains of MDGs in Democratic Republic of the Congo, taking into cognizance key deliverables, pitfalls, and prospects for development in fragile states. The study uses thematic reviews cushioned with elements of quantitative approach in providing answers to the study. On surface value, the study shows that 72% of rural households live in abject poverty. Additionally, more than 40% of children in rural areas suffer from chronic malnutrition, hunger and squalor. The study contends that without sustainable public institutions, systems and structure in the administration of services, DRC could likely remain in unending retrogression.

Background Although breastfeeding is almost universally accepted in the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo, by the age of 2 to 3 months 65% of children are receiving something other than human milk. We sought to describe the infant feeding practices and determinants of suboptimal breastfeeding behaviors in DR Congo. Methods Survey questionnaire administered to mothers of infants aged ≤ 6 months and healthcare providers who were recruited consecutively at six selected primary health care facilities in Kinshasa, the capital. Results All 66 mothers interviewed were breastfeeding. Before initiating breastfeeding, 23 gave their infants something other than their milk, including: sugar water (16) or water (2). During the twenty-four hours prior to interview, 26 (39%) infants were exclusively breastfed (EBF), whereas 18 (27%), 12 (18%), and 10 (15%) received water, tea, formula, or porridge, respectively, in addition to human milk. The main reasons for water supplementation included “heat” and cultural beliefs that water is needed for proper digestion of human milk. The main reason for formula supplementation was the impression that the baby was not getting enough milk; and for porridge supplementation, the belief that the child was old enough to start complementary food. Virtually all mothers reported that breastfeeding was discussed during antenatal clinic visit and half reported receiving help regarding breastfeeding from a health provider either after birth or during well-child clinic visit. Despite a median of at least 14 years of experience in these facilities, healthcare workers surveyed had little to no formal training on how to support breastfeeding and inadequate breastfeeding-related knowledge and skills. The facilities lacked any written policy about breastfeeding. Conclusion Addressing cultural beliefs, training healthcare providers adequately on breastfeeding support skills, and providing structured breastfeeding support after maternity discharge is needed to promote EBF in the DR Congo.

Tracheomycosis (or Coffee Wilt Disease) is a vascular disease that causes damage in plantations up to 80% of production in the absence of treatment. The fungus of the disease is Fusarium xylarioides. An experiment in micro-plots was put in place to look for 9 strains of this species from different production regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Equateur, Nord Kivu and Province Orientale) in terms of their pathogenicity on coffee Robusta (clone L251). The results from this experiment highlight several levels of pathogenicity significantly different (P ≤ 0.05), and particularly high for aggressive strain Mindembo. The differences do not seem to be related to geographic origins. Mindembo strain, from Equateur, was more aggressive and induces a high mortality (50%). Strains Bunduki and MUCL 45580, originating in Equateur and the Province Orientale, showed high pathogenicity although lower than Mindembo. However, the strain Zobolia (Equateur) multiplies much more slowly and has caused no mortality 3 months after inoculation. This work has important implications for studies on varietal resistance.

A l’image du bassin du Congo, la République Démocratique du Congo (République Démocratique du Congo) fait face à une réduction de la qualité et de la superficie de son couvert forestier. La présente étude avait pour objectif d’étudier l’effet de l’anthropisation, à travers la présence et les activités humaines sur la dynamique des paysages forestiers en République Démocratique du Congo. L’écologie du paysage, en tant que science pluridisciplinaire offre une très bonne approche à travers les indices et une méthodologie alliant la structure et la composition du paysage pour mettre en évidence les causes et les conséquences des processus écologiques. Ces approches sont basées sur le fait que en analysant la structure du paysage, des déductions utiles au sujet des processus écologiques fondamentaux peuvent être faites et vice versa. Les résultats ont montré, en quantifiant la dynamique spatio-temporelle de l’occupation du sol et par l’analyse et la caractérisation de la structure spatiale, que l’anthropisation est le moteur de la dynamique dans ces milieux forestiers. L’impact humain se traduit par une déstabilisation ou un dysfonctionnement des écosystèmes forestiers entraînant la dégradation, la fragmentation et la déforestation. Ainsi il a été montré que la proximité des villes est fortement corrélée à la dégradation et la perte d’habitats forestiers. Cela est fonction de l’importance socio-économique de ces villes car plus la ville est importante, plus elle attire la population ;que la densité de la population influence la fragmentation et l’incursion dans la forêt se fait en suivant les pistes et les routes mises en place généralement par les sociétés d’exploitation forestière. Le tout amplifié par la situation socio-économique difficile des populations et le manque de politiques de gestion appropriées de la part des gestionnaires publiques. Cette dynamique régressive du paysage forestier en République Démocratique du Congo aura une incidence négative sur les cycles climatiques globaux vu que le bassin du Congo est le plus grand bloc forestier après le bloc de l’Amazonie. La présente étude est donc un argument supplémentaire qui milite en faveur de la nécessité de prendre en compte les caractéristiques des populations locales dans les programmes de gestion de la forêt du bassin du Congo pour un meilleur équilibre écologique de la planète. / Like Congo basin, Democratic Republic of Congo’s forest covers are facing their reduction in quality and size. This study aimed to investigate the effect of human impact on forest landscape dynamics in DR Congo, through the human presence and its activities. Landscape ecology as a multidisciplinary science offers a very good approach through the index and a methodology combining the structure and the composition of the landscape to highlight the causes and the consequences of ecological processes. These approaches are based on the fact that by analyzing the structure of landscape, useful deductions about the underlying ecological processes can be made and vice versa. By quantifying the spatio-temporal dynamics of land use and by analysis and characterization of spatial structure, our results showed that anthropization is the driver of the dynamics in these forest environments. Human impact results in a destabilization or a dysfunction of the forest ecosystems involving degradation, fragmentation and deforestation. Thus it was shown that proximity to cities is strongly correlated to the degradation and loss of forest habitats. This depends on the socioeconomic importance of these cities because more the city is important, more it attracts people. Population density influences the fragmentation and the incursion into the forest is done by following the tracks and roads generally implemented by the logging companies. All amplified by socio-economic problems of population and lack of appropriate management policies on the part of public managers.This regressive dynamic forest landscape in République Démocratique du Congo will have a negative impact on global climate cycles because the Congo Basin is the largest forest block after Amazonia block. This study is another argument which advocates the need to take into account the characteristics of local population in forest management programs in the Congo Basin for a better ecological balance of planet., Doctorat en Sciences, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Background Maternal mortality in Kinshasa is high despite near universal availability of antenatal care and hospital delivery. Possible explanations are poor-quality care and by delays in the uptake of care. There is, however, little information on the circumstances surrounding maternal deaths. This study describes and compares the circumstances of survivors and non survivors of severe obstetric complications. Method Semi structured interviews with 208 women who survived their obstetric complication and with the families of 110 women who died were conducted at home by three experienced nurses under the supervision of EK. All the cases were identified from twelve referral hospitals in Kinshasa after admission for a serious acute obstetric complication. Transcriptions of interviews were analysed with N-Vivo 2.0 and some categories were exported to SPSS 14.0 for further quantitative analysis. Results Testimonies showed that despite attendance at antenatal care, some women were not aware of or minimized danger signs and did not seek appropriate care. Cost was a problem; 5 deceased and 4 surviving women tried to avoid an expensive caesarean section by delivering in a health centre, although they knew the risk. The majority of surviving mothers (for whom the length of stay was known) had the caesarean section on the day of admission while only about a third of those who died did so. Ten women died before the required caesarean section or blood transfusion could take place because they did not bring the money in time. Negligence and lack of staff competence contributed to the poor quality of care. Interviews revealed that patients and their families were aware of the problem, but often powerless to do anything about it. Conclusion Our findings suggest that women with serious obstetric complications have a greater chance of survival in Kinshasa if they have cash, go directly to a functioning referral hospital and have some leverage when dealing with health care staff

The protracted crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that lasted from 1996 till 2003 aggravated processes of land alienation and reduced market access. Field research conducted in 2005 in three eastern DR.C areas shows that these processes made rural households increasingly vulnerable and deepened structural causes of food insecurity. Households adapt their livelihood strategies because of the need to deal with the impact of different adversities and to anticipate various risks threatening their livelihoods. This further erodes the resilience of poorly endowed households and forces them to forsake food security in the long run to avoid acute destitution. Yet, standard food relief interventions often solely focus on direct food availability and fail to address the underlying structural causes for food insecurity such as limited access to land and markets. We recommend a combination of interventions that address both in order to lift rural households in protracted crisis situations out of the food insecurity trap.

China’s increasing role in Africa has for almost five years now become a recurrent theme of conversation within academic and geostrategic circles. China definitely represents an important game changer in the region as its growing interests in terms of oil and mineral resources and the strategy aiming at ensuring a long-term access to them affect Western countries fundamental relations with the continent. And in their efforts to contain China’s momentum in Africa, Western countries can find in international financial institutions like the IMF an efficient pressure tool, which in the midst of a global financial crisis, can be used to counter China’s political and economic offensives into African oil and mineral resources rich countries such as DR Congo.

In this article, I delineate the zone of TV serials in Kinshasa as a space in which young people and women interact and collectively produce narratives that reflect their understandings of what it means to live in Kinshasa today. The serials thus generate a "cultural public sphere". ispartof: Recherches en Communication issue:28 pages:27-36 status: published

The etiology of kwashiorkor remains enigmatic and longitudinal studies examining potential causes of kwashiorkor are scarce. Using historical, longitudinal study data from the rural area of Bwamanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, we investigated the potential causal association between diet and the development of kwashiorkor in 5 657 preschool children followed 3-monthly during 15 months.We compared dietary risk factors for kwashiorkor with those of marasmus. Kwashiorkor was diagnosed as pitting oedema of the ankles; marasmus as abnormal visibility of skeletal structures and palpable wasting of the gluteus muscle. A food frequency questionnaire was administered 3-monthly to record the consumption of the 41 locally most frequent food items. We specified Hanley-Miettinen smooth-in-time risk models containing potential causal factors, including food items, specialmeals prepared for the child, breastfeeding, disease status, nutritional status, birth rank, age, season and number of meals. Bayesian Information Criteria identified the most plausible causal model of why some children developed kwashiorkor.In a descriptive analysis of the diet at the last dietary assessment prior to development of kwashiorkor, the diet of children who developed kwashiorkor was characterized by a low intake of sweet potatoes, papaya and “other vegetables” [0.0% , 2.3% (95%CI: 0.4, 12.1) and 2.3% (95%CI: 0.4, 12.1)] in comparison with children who did not develop kwashiorkor [6.8% (95%CI: 6.4, 7.2), 15.5% (95%CI: 15, 16.1) and 15.1% (95%CI: 14.6, 15.7)] or children who developed marasmus [4.5% (95%CI 2.6, 7.5) 11.8% (95%CI: 8.5, 16.0) and 17.6% (95%CI: 13.7, 22.5)]. Sweet potatoes and papaya have high β-Carotene content and so may some of “the other vegetables”. We found that a risk model containing an age function, length/height-for age Z-score, consumption of sweet potatoes, papaya or other vegetables , duration of this consumption and its interaction term, was the most plausible model. Among children aged aged 10-42 months, the risk of developing kwashiorkor increased with longer non-consumption of theses foods.The analysis was repeated with only children who developed marasmus as the reference series, yielding similar results. Our study supports that β-Carotene may play an important role in the protection against kwashiorkor development.

Introduction Little is known about rheumatoid arthritis in the black, particularly in Congolese, populations. Our objective was to describe the phenotype and genotype of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Congolese. Methods All consecutive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients attending Kinshasa University Hospital in a three-year time period were included. Demographics, clinical features and tobacco consumption were noted. Disease Activity Score (DAS)-28 based on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (CCP) antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF) were determined. Radiographs were scored according to Sharp-van der Heijde. On a subset of patients and controls HLA-DRB1 typing was performed. Results A total of 114 females and 14 males aged 51.2 ± 14.9 were included. Mean duration of symptoms was four years. Moderate tobacco consumption was reported in a minority of patients. DAS-28 at first visit was >5.1 and HAQ ≥0.5 in all patients. X-rays showed joint erosions and/or joint space narrowing, mostly of a moderate grade in 55.8% of patients. Anti-CCP and/or RF were present in 48.6% of patients with available data (n = 72) and in 3.0% of controls (n = 67). Radiographic changes and nodules were more frequent in RF or anti-CCP positive patients. One copy of the shared epitope was found in 13 patients (35.1%) and 3 controls (12.5%). Two copies were found in one patient (2.7%) and in one control (4.2%). Conclusion Congolese patients with RA consult long after disease onset. Despite this delay, the majority presents without major damage and is RF, anti-CCP and SE negative. We put forward the hypothesis that besides different environmental factors there is probably also a particular genetic risk profile in Congolese patients, different from the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope.

Based on (n)ethnographic research on digital activism of Combattants, i.e. Congolese living in the diaspora and contesting J. Kabila’s political leadership in DR Congo, this chapter situates anti-Kabila diatribes within the transformations of the discursive speech genre of the mbwakela, which first emerged in the context of rivalry among co-wives in Léopoldville (colonial Kinshasa), then transformed in the postcolonial era into political protest through music, and in the digital era has become a genre of contestation in the diaspora communities. The chapter thus calls for an exploration of the socio-cultural histories of digital forms of protest, contestation and organizing. ispartof: Theorising Media and Conflict pages:237-254 ispartof: Anthropology of Media vol:8 pages:237-254 status: published

This experiment was conducted in parallel with work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the objective to evaluate the growth performance and production costs of Nile tilapia fed diets formulated using local plant protein sources, and to compare them to those obtained with an optimized commercial fish feed. Ninety monosex male tilapia juveniles (Oreochromis niloticus; mean weight 17.3 ± 0.2 g; mean length 9.6 ± 0.1 cm) were reared in 9 acrylic aquaria supplied by closed water recirculation system. Three diets were tested in triplicate: 1) Rcongo, the test diet formulated by using local feed ingredients collected in the DR-Congo; 2) Rcanada, the diet formulated with the same ingredient composition as the first one, but sourced in Canada; and 3) Rcommercial, a fishmeal-based commercial control diet. In vivo feed digestibility and biochemical analysis of samples were carried out. The effects of diet and rearing time were measured on fish performance, including fish biomass, K coefficient, weight gain (WG), feed efficiency (FE), feed conversion rate (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) and on nutrient budget and fish biochemical composition. After four weeks, the fish achieved weight gains of 52% for Rcongo diet (17.2 ± 0.4 to 26.2 ± 2.6 g), 59% for Rcanada diet (17.4 ± 0.1 to 27.6 ± 3.2 g) and 153% for the commercial diet (17.3 ± 0.2 to 43.8 ± 2.0 g). The cost-benefit analysis has indicated that the Rcongo diet was economically advantageous, reducing fish production cost up to 36% compared to commercial feed., Contribution à l’identification d’un aliment local et disponible pour une production durable du tilapia du Nil (Oreochromis niloticus, Linnaeus, 1758) en République Démocratique du Congo.Cette étude a été conduite en parallèle à des recherches menées en République Démocratique du Congo avec l\'objectif d’évaluer les performances de croissance du tilapia du Nil et les coûts de production d\'un aliment produit à partir de sources de protéines végétales locales et de les comparer à ceux obtenus avec un aliment commercial optimisé. Quatre-vingt-dix tilapias juvéniles monosexes mâles de Oreochromis niloticus (poids moyen 17,3 ± 0,2 g; longueur moyenne 9,6 ± 0,1 cm) ont été élevés dans 9 aquariums en recirculation d’eau fermée et distribués de manière aléatoire. Trois rations ont été testées en triplicata: 1) la ration Rcongo, principal aliment test formulé à partir d’ingrédients locaux en RD Congo; 2) Rcanada, aliment de même formulation que Rcongo mais dont les ingrédients ont été acquis au Canada; et 3) Rcommercial moulée commerciale et aliment témoin. L’étude de digestibilité des aliments et les analyses biochimiques des échantillons ont été réalisées. Les effets des rations et de la période d’élevage ont été évalués sur les performances zootechniques (biomasse, coefficient K, gain de poids (GP), efficacité alimentaire (EA), taux de consommation alimentaire (TCA), taux de croissance spécifique (TCS), coefficient de l’efficacité protéique (CEP), coefficient de digestibilité apparente (CDA) et sur le flux des nutriments et la composition biochimique des poissons. Au terme de 4 semaines d’essai, les poissons ont réalisé des gains de poids de 52% (17,2 ± 0,4 à 26,2 ± 2,6 g) pour la ration Rcongo, 59% (17,4 ± 0,1 à 27,6 ± 3,2 g) pour la ration Rcanada et 153 % (17,3 ± 0,2 à 43,8 ± 2,0 g) pour la ration Rcommercial. L’analyse du rapport coût/bénéfice a indiqué que la ration Rcongo a été économiquement meilleure, car elle a permis une réduction de 36% du coût de production par rapport à Rcommercial.