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DRC: AFD Group strengthens regional and global health efforts against Ebola
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On his first overseas mission since taking office, AFD Group Chief Executive Officer Christophe Lecourtier traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the country is facing a new Ebola outbreak. The three-day visit reflects the Group's commitment to supporting the country's long-term development, particularly in the health sector.
As a new Ebola outbreak continues to affect the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Christophe Lecourtier visited Kinshasa from 13 to 15 July to reaffirm France's commitment to its partner and mark a new stage in cooperation between the two countries.
During his first official trip abroad since taking office on 11 May, AFD Group's Chief Executive Officer attended the inauguration of the laboratory at Kinkole Reference Hospital, built and equipped with AFD support through the LABOH-KIN project. The project financed the construction and equipment of five laboratories, established a biomedical equipment maintenance workshop, and trained nearly 300 health professionals.
Christophe Lecourtier also visited the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), a longstanding French partner and the country's leading biomedical research institution. Its Director General, Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the Congolese virologist who co-discovered the Ebola virus in 1976, highlighted the importance of this partnership in strengthening the country's scientific capacity, particularly through the expansion of the national laboratory network supporting epidemic preparedness and response.
Interdependence
AFD Group will continue its support through the construction of a new administrative building for INRB, strengthening the institute's research and public health response capacities for the benefit of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the region, and the wider world.
Supporting these institutions means investing in a global public good: our collective capacity to anticipate, detect, and contain health crises before they cross borders.
“The work being carried out here is essential in a world where we are all interconnected. Being able to detect epidemiological threats and risks as early as possible is a true win-win form of cooperation that benefits the Congolese people, as well as everyone who shares this planet, particularly the French and Europeans,” said Christophe Lecourtier, Chief Executive Officer of AFD Group.
Four shared priorities
Christophe Lecourtier's visit reflects the importance of the partnership between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and France through AFD Group. It also provided an opportunity to meet with Congolese authorities following the Memorandum of Understanding signed in February, which structures cooperation around four shared priorities: energy, transport infrastructure, forests and agriculture, and higher education.
Present in the country since 1976, AFD Group currently supports 35 projects.
In a country with considerable energy potential, these commitments pave the way for a long-term economic and technological partnership in which the expertise and know-how of French companies have an important role to play.
