Rebuilding the Democratic Republic of Congo

Rebuilding the Democratic Republic of Congo

While rivaling militias continue to ravage the war-torn region in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the people of DRC are rebuilding their communities. Millions of lives have been lost through starvation and disease, exacerbated by years of war, and resulting in the isolation of the very people most in need of international support. From this crestfallen region, Accordia encountered a symbol of hope: Dr. Mike Upio.

 

Dr. Upio traveled to the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Accordia’s flagship program in Uganda, for three-weeks of specialized training in HIV/AIDS care and treatment. For years Dr. Upio treated patients at Yonkundi Hospital, but the hospital was destroyed during the war. He is now working to rebuild, and wants to ensure the hospital is equipped with an HIV program to address the growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS in DRC.

“I think people need information, that’s the first thing. People in Africa need to be told about HIV. Many people don’t know that they are HIV positive, and because they don’t know about HIV, they don’t know about transmission. I think the first step will be to inform them that HIV is a real disease.”

The training Dr. Upio received at IDI gave him the skills and knowledge allowing him to better care for his patients in his own community.

“IDI’s training program for doctors and nurses is not only good for Uganda, but for all of Africa. My colleagues and I want to start a program which will provide free HIV testing for everyone, most importantly, pregnant women who risk transmitting the disease to their children.”

Dr. Upio is the first person from his region of the DRC to attend a training course at IDI. His training will not only enable him to effectively diagnose and treat those afflicted with HIV/AIDS in his community, but will also allow him to share this life-saving knowledge with his fellow healthcare workers. By training healthcare workers such as Dr. Mike Upio, Accordia helps to overcome the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases in Africa.

[Back to Accordia Spotlight]

Related Links