In 2004, three doctors (Ahuka, Chabikuli and Ogunbanjo) examined maternity registries from CME Njankunde Hospital in Ituri District, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The data was collected between 1993-and 2001, before and during the country’s devastating civil war. The researchers found that [Emphasis mine]:
“There were no statistically significant differences between the number of births before (5419) and during the war (5109).” (Ahuka, Chabikuli and Ogunbanjo 2004, 91)
The lack of any meaningful change in the births is interesting. It could suggest that civilians continued to use the hospital with the same frequency both before and during the civil war. However, there is also the possibility that the population of patients changed and the constant usage rate is simply due to the hospital always operating at full capacity.
“Premature deliveries (10.47%) were the most frequent unfavorable pregnancy outcomes during the war, followed by stillbirths (3.79%), and abortions (3.3%).” (Ahuka, Chabikuli and Ogunbanjo 2004, 91)
“There were three peaks at 2-yearly intervals during the war. The first peak in 1997 (11.4%) coincided with the onset of war, and the second and third peaks in 1999 (11.2%) and 2001 (11.5%), respectively, coincided with the rebel army movements to recapture Kinshasa, the country’s capital city.” (Ahuka, Chabikuli and Ogunbanjo 2004, 91)
Interestingly, an informal eyeballing of the chart hints that the two rebel pushes against the capital were associated with different health outcomes. That is, the first rebel campaign had a meaningfully different effect on premature births in CME Njankunde than the second. It suggests that the evolution of tactics between 1999 and 2001 influenced the human cost of the conflict.
A graphic of their data is presented below:
Source:
Ahuka, O. L., N. Chabikuli, and G. A. Ogunbanjo. 2004. “The effects of armed conflict on pregnancy outcomes in the Congo.” International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 84(1): 91-92.
Christopher R. Albon is a political science Ph.D. specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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