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Call for oil revenues to improve living standards in Congo

BRAZZAVILLE, 15 May 2013 (IRIN) - Congo, which is heavily dependent on revenue from the oil industry, has been declared as “conforming to” a global standard that aims to ensure transparency of payments for natural resources; NGOs hope the announcement will improve the lives of the poor. full report

In Congo, thousands still homeless one year after munitions blasts

 BRAZZAVILLE, 28 March 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of people remain homeless in the Republic of Congo (ROC) one year after being displaced following a deadly munitions blast at an army barracks in the capital, Brazzaville. The 4 March 2012 blast, in the area of Mpila, east of the capital, left some 282 people dead and 2,300 others injured, according to officials. full report

Cholera outbreak in Congo

 BRAZZAVILLE, 15 March 2013 (IRIN) - An influx of migrants from the countryside into the Republic of Congo's second largest city, Pointe-Noire, is exacerbating a cholera outbreak that began in November 2012. The outbreak infected at least 389 and killed 10, according to the health ministry and local authorities. full report

In Congo, few pygmy women have access to reproductive health services

 BRAZZAVILLE, 1 March 2013 (IRIN) - Indigenous women in the Republic of Congo, better known as pygmies - a minority group threatened with extinction - are virtually excluded from reproductive health services. They mostly give birth at home and are exposed to related health risks, according to a 2012 study conducted by the Ministry of Health with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). full report

African migrants pay high prices to send money home

 JOHANNESBURG, 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world. full report

Maternal mortality down sharply in Congo

 BRAZZAVILLE, 21 January 2013 (IRIN) - Improved maternal healthcare and better family planning programmes have led to a sharp decrease in the Republic of Congo’s maternal mortality rate over the past decade. full report

In Brief: Staples, not export crops, key to tackling Africa’s poverty – report

 NAIROBI, 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). full report

Fewer pregnant women with HIV in Congo

 BRAZZAVILLE, 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - The HIV infection rate has declined among pregnant women in the Republic of Congo from 3.4 percent in 2009 to 2.8 percent in 2012, according to a study by the Ministry of Health, which said it had taken specific action to help this section of the population. full report

Congo prisons chief admits shortcomings in wake of damning report

 BRAZZAVILLE, 17 January 2013 (IRIN) - The director-general of Congo’s prison service, Paul Morossa, has admitted serious overcrowding in prisons, but does not think imminent improvements are possible. full report

AFRICA: Congo cancer conference urges action

 DOLISIE, 24 December 2012 (IRIN) - Over 150 experts from seven African countries - Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cameroon - are calling on African governments to implement national plans to combat cancer. full report

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