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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Introduction: Sub-Saharan Africa in general, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in particular, is undergoing an epidemiological transition characterized by a more rapid increase in the number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, the level of readiness of the DRC’s healthcare facilities (HFs) to manage these diseases is unknown. Thus, our study aimed to assess these HFs’ level of readiness to manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Methodology: This cross-sectional study involved 1412 HFs in the DRC, selected by stratified random sampling. They are representative of the country’s 26 provinces. The World Health Organization (WHO) Service Availability and Readiness Survey (SARA) was used. The “readiness” outcome was a composite measure of the capacity of HFs to manage CVD and diabetes. The readiness indicator comprised four domains, and a score of ≥70% indicated “readiness” to manage CVD and diabetes. Informed consent was obtained from the stakeholders, and the ethics committee held a positive opinion. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA 17 software. Results: The average readiness scores of the DRC’s HFs to manage CVD and diabetes are less than 50%, being 38.3% (37.3–39.3) and 39.8% (38.7–40.9), respectively. These scores were less than 40% for CVD and diabetes in rural HFs. They were less than 30% for CVD and diabetes in primary-level HF. No province possesses over 50% of health facilities equipped to address cardiovascular illnesses, and only four provinces (Haut Uele, Kinshasa, Nord Kivu, and Sud Kivu) possess over 50% of health facilities equipped to address diabetes. The provinces with health facilities exhibiting the least preparedness in managing cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes are Nord Ubangi and Sankuru. Only 0.07% (0.01–0.5) of HFs obtained a score ≥ 70% for CVD management, and 5.9% (4.8–7.3) obtained this score for diabetes management. Conclusions: Significant deficiencies must be rectified to enhance service delivery in the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Most primary-level and rural facilities demonstrated inadequate preparedness for CVD and diabetes screening and management, exhibiting low readiness scores and limited-service availability in the assessed domains. While secondary-level services are relatively accessible, critical gaps persist that must be addressed to improve readiness for CVD and diabetes care. Healthcare facilities should possess the capacity to deliver recommended services across various tiers, ensuring both service readiness and availability.

Details

Title
A Readiness Level Assessment of Healthcare Facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the Management of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
Author
Angendu, Karl B 1 ; Kabasubabo, Francis K 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Julien, Magne 3 ; Akilimali, Pierre Z 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Inserm U1094, IRD UMR270, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT—Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical Zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, University of Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France; [email protected] (K.B.A.); [email protected] (F.K.K.); [email protected] (J.M.), The Democratic Republic of Congo National Public Health Institute, Kinshasa P.O. Box 3243, Congo, Faculty of Medicine, Christian University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 834, Congo 
 Inserm U1094, IRD UMR270, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT—Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical Zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, University of Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France; [email protected] (K.B.A.); [email protected] (F.K.K.); [email protected] (J.M.), The Democratic Republic of Congo National Public Health Institute, Kinshasa P.O. Box 3243, Congo, Patrick Kayembe Research Center, Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 11850, Congo 
 Inserm U1094, IRD UMR270, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT—Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical Zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, OmegaHealth, University of Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France; [email protected] (K.B.A.); [email protected] (F.K.K.); [email protected] (J.M.) 
 The Democratic Republic of Congo National Public Health Institute, Kinshasa P.O. Box 3243, Congo, Patrick Kayembe Research Center, Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 11850, Congo, Department of Nutrition, Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 11850, Congo 
First page
3498
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20770383
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3212010174
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.