Commercialization of obstetric and neonatal care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A study of the variability in user fees in Lubumbashi, 2014.

Objective: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, insufficient state financing of the health system produced weak progress toward targets of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. In Lubumbashi, almost all women pay out-of-pocket for obstetric and neonatal care. As no standard pricing system has been implemented, there is great variation in payments related to childbirth between health facilities and even within the same facility.

[Use of modern contraceptive methods in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: prevalence and barriers in the health zone of Dibindi, Mbuji-Mayi].

Introduction: This study aimed to determine modern contraceptive prevalence and the barriers to using modern contraceptive methods among the couples in Dibindi health zone, Mbuji-Mayi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study from May to June 2015. Nonpregnant married women aged 15-49 years old at the time of the investigation, living in Dibindi health zone for two years and having freely consented to participate in the study were included.