Central African Republic

Snapshot*
Population – 4.4 million
Internally displaced persons – 20,000 (Sudan), 3,000 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Refugees – 150,000
Life expectancy – 43 years old
Median age – 18.5 years old
Infant mortality rate – 84 deaths for every 1,000 live births
Fertility rate – 4.3 children per woman
HIV/AIDS rate – 14 percent
Infectious disease risk – Very high
Literacy rate – 51 percent

Life in Central African Republic
After gaining its independence from France in 1960, Central African Republic (CAR) has been plagued by unrest. In the past decade alone, CAR has seen 11 attempted coups, while violence, particularly in the north, is widespread. Outside the capital, rebels raid villages, stealing food and livestock and oftentimes raping and killing the inhabitants. Thousands have migrated across borders to neighboring countries where resources are also limited, like Chad and Cameroon. Within CAR, one million are in need of emergency assistance, while average life expectancy is just 43 years old.

Helping Communities Help Themselves
Bringing Relief
International Medical Corps (IMC) reaches out to the most in need of emergency assistance through mobile medical units that travel - even up to three days by motorbike - to reach CAR’s most isolated populations. In addition to providing primary care through mobile clinics, International Medical Corps also works to support Central Africans by reducing the strain on the resource-poor region through:
• Primary health care
• Secondary health care, including surgery
• Maternal and child care
• Immunization
• Nutritional screening and therapeutic and supplemental feeding
• Health and hygiene promotion
• HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention
• Sexual and gender-based violence awareness and prevention

Building the Central African health care system is crucial for the health and development of its citizens. While supporting health centers, posts, and mobile medical units, International Medical Corps has also rehabilitated and equipped two health centers in one of CAR’s most isolated regions. For the first time in two years, Central Africans near the health center in Sam Ouandja are receiving primary health care services and vaccinations. Another health center in Ouadda Djalle is the only functional referral service for over 200 miles. It has made services available to 18,000 otherwise isolated residents, including 3,000 refugees.

Enabling Self-Reliance
To make its relief efforts sustainable, International Medical Corps’ programs train Central Africans to fulfill the following roles in their programs:
• Traditional birth attendants – Help in sure clean, safe deliveries for Central African mothers and their babies
• Health care workers - Provide primary health care through IMC-supported health posts, mobile clinics, and health centers, as well as nutritional support in supplemental and therapeutic feeding centers

International Medical Corps’ programs also engage government agencies and local organizations to enhance CAR’s social systems and infrastructure. At the individual level, IMC empowers Central Africans with information on reproductive health, nutrition, and hygiene and sanitation.

You Can Help Build Change That Lasts
Despite International Medical Corps’ wide-reaching efforts, there is much more that needs to be done to create lasting change in CAR. As fighting continues in Darfur, more refugees are expected to resettle in Sam Ouandja in Haute-Kotto Province, intensifying the need for emergency relief services in the camp and surrounding areas. To provide primary health care services, IMC requires nutritional supplements, clean water sources, food supplies, and other basic materials central to good health. With your help, IMC will be better able to not only provide for the communities it supports, but also expand its programs to reach other Central Africans who are in need. Click here to help Central African Republic and other IMC programs worldwide.

*Statistics from U.S. Government