In South Kivu, the nurses' strike launched in early November is plunging the health system into an unprecedented crisis. In less than one month, 223 deaths have been recorded due to lack of access to care, including many women and children. The most fragile areas are paralyzed, while discussions with authorities remain at a standstill. Civil society is warning of a "silent humanitarian crisis" and calling for urgent mobilization.

The health situation is deteriorating dangerously in the south of the province, where the strike launched on November 3 by nurses continues to claim victims. According to a statement released Monday by the New Congolese Civil Society (NSCC), South Axis, 223 deaths have been recorded in less than one month due to lack of access to care.

Among the victims are 11 women who died in maternity, 137 children under 5 years old and 75 people from other age groups. Civil society describes the toll as "alarming," revealing the total paralysis of the health system in several already fragile areas.

The Uvira health zone is the hardest hit, with 52 deaths, including 3 maternal deaths and 28 children under five. In Ruzizi, 37 people have died, while Lemera records 16 deaths.

The zones of Uvira High Plateau, Nundu and Fizi count 25, 17 and 13 deaths respectively. In more remote areas such as Kimbi-Lulenge and Minembwe, the figures are equally worrying, with 19 and 33 deaths reported. The Itombwe health zone reports 12 deaths.

For NSCC South Axis, these figures testify to a "silent humanitarian crisis" that continues to worsen since the suspension of nursing services.

A sit-in that goes on

Alongside the strike, nurses have been holding a sit-in for eleven days in front of the Provincial Division of Health in Uvira, denouncing the inaction of authorities.

The president of the nurses' unions, Mapigano Moses, asserts that health workers are "indignant at the way their demands are being treated," as they have been demanding for months the regularization of salaries and improvement of working conditions.

Despite the scale of the crisis, no notable progress has been made in discussions with provincial or national authorities.

In its statement, NSCC South Axis accuses authorities of "letting the population pay the price" for the lack of urgent response. It calls for a major sit-in on December 8, 2025 in front of the South Kivu governorate, even announcing that patients could be brought directly to authorities if no solution is found by then.

For Freddy Mudeba, deputy coordinator of the structure, "the population is being sacrificed" and the situation has reached a critical point. He pleads for rapid mediation to prevent further loss of life.

This strike underscores once again the extreme fragility of the health system in the south of South Kivu, where nurses constitute the driving force of health structures. Without them, health centers operate at a crawl or close completely, leaving thousands of people without access to the most basic care.

Community actors fear that the already heavy toll will continue to mount in the coming days if rapid action is not taken.

Joséphine Mungubi