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Acute Mental Health Needs
MSF is providing psychological care in Nyarugusu and Nduta refugee camps, and has conducted 13,795 individual and 1,408 group consultations since the beginning of the year. According to MSF psychologists, more than 95% of refugees attending mental health consultations said they had experienced major traumatic events before arriving in Tanzania, and most now suffer from depression, anxiety and sleep problems.
“The patients we see in mental health consultations have all been through huge trauma and are going through all kinds of emotional distress,” said George Hunter, an MSF psychologist working in the Nduta refugee camp. “They have lost everything. Six months ago, they were leading a normal life in the city, their children were in school. Then they witnessed horrific violence or lost family members or friends. They were forced to flee and now live in tents with nothing.”
Joseph, a refugee living in Nduta camp: “When I first arrived I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about all the things I left behind. I felt like this was the end of my life. I’m still scared and I don’t feel safe yet. I don’t see any future. I wanted to continue with my university studies. But now that I’m here, that dream is gone.”
One in two refugee cases in Nyarugusu and Nduta camps is suffering from malaria
The Kigoma region, where the refugee camp is located, has one of the highest annual rates of malaria in Tanzania. Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to severe malaria, which can be fatal if not treated promptly.
About half of the patients who visit MSF clinics in Nyarugusu and Nduta refugee camps suffer from malaria. Since the beginning of the year, MSF has treated about 58,000 malaria patients in the two camps.
In January, as more rains came, malaria cases began to increase, and MSF stepped up its malaria response. In Nduta refugee camp, MSF provided treatment at its three health posts and outpatient clinics, and patients with severe malaria were hospitalized. In Nyarugusu refugee camp, MSF provided treatment at two clinics set up specifically for malaria.
“While the number of malaria cases has started to decline slightly over the past few weeks, we can expect them to rise again soon,” Krause said. “The rains are expected to continue until at least June, exacerbating already damp and crowded living conditions and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The only solution to avoid this is a rapid and sustained improvement in prevention and treatment measures.”
Burundi provides emergency medical treatment to the wounded
In Burundi, MSF continues to respond to trauma-related medical emergencies in the capital, Bujumbura. The MSF Trauma Centre has 86 beds, including an emergency room, two operating theatres and an intensive care unit.
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