Collaboration between a TB control programme and NGOs during humanitarian crisis: Democratic Republic of the Congo.

a National Tuberculosis Programme, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. b Damien Foundation, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. c Damien Foundation, Boulevard Léopold II, 263, 1081 Brussels, Belgium. Correspondence to Etienne Declercq (e-mail: [email protected]). The humanitarian crisis The socioeconomic situation of the DRC deteriorated progressively as a result of wars (1996-1997, 1998-2003) in which several million people died. Health services were disrupted completely in the areas affected directly by the war: a number of health centres and hospitals were looted and their staff were forced to flee. The DRC was divided for several years and government staff from the central level could not reach the eastern provinces. However, work was resumed once the acute phase of the war was over in a particular area, including visits by supervisory staff living in the eastern part of the country. Currently, the country is reunited; security has improved but remains problematic in some areas. The socioeconomic situation remains extremely bad. Public service salaries are below subsistence level, resulting in poorly functioning health services except where they are supported by external donors.