Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - In addition to the constant drama of poverty afflicting Africa, the continent has always been involved in riots, clashes and epidemics. In Congo, for example, a country which historically has already been battered by bloody genocides, and where, in addition to outbreaks, daily life is constantly disrupted by violence and war, measles has killed 21 000 people although one million and a half vaccines have been distributed. The main victim is always the civilian population, forced to live with ethnic clashes between regular armies, and supporters of independence that are in contrast. Epidemics find fertile ground in their escape to the west of the country and the capital Kinshasa, due to the refugees. In this context, many children are already malnourished, suffering from this disease eradicated in the West, and instead in Congo is creating a humanitarian disaster. In the African country, the average life expectancy is 43 years of age , and nearly 60 million inhabitants, half of them are under 15, due to the fact that measles can have devastating consequences. With a situation like this, the NGO Reach Italy Mission for Children sponsorship and international cooperation, present in Congo and in Burkina Faso, in a statement sent to Fides confirms its support to about 2,700 children and launches an alarm after having seen their basic needs in terms of health and nutritional supplements. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 05/05/2011)
