PREAMBULE DE DMP-RDC

DMP-RDC PREAMBLE

For many years now, Africa has been training its academic professionals, healthcare providers, and doctors. However, when it comes to the medical profession, a major challenge persists: an estimated 64,000 doctors trained in Africa eventually go on to practice in wealthier countries. Unfortunately for Africa, this contributes to a tragic and ongoing reality: a two-speed development model in which countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) invest heavily in training healthcare professionals, only to see them benefit other nations. In essence, Africa ends up subsidizing the health systems of wealthier countries, often to its own detriment.

Indeed, Congolese doctors have proven their medical expertise in many countries—so much so that, in some of these countries, the Congolese medical diaspora represents up to 60% of the practicing healthcare workforce. And yet, these professionals often receive remuneration that does not match the effort or value of their contribution. This alone speaks volumes about the resilience of Congolese medical education, which has survived and endured—even through the darkest of times.

It is common for the Congolese elite and other affluent Africans—politicians, businesspeople, senior government officials—to travel abroad for medical care: to Europe, India, or the United States, sometimes for something as minor as a cold, an appendectomy, or to seek an effective family planning method. Often, these same patients are told that nothing more can be done for their condition, and that palliative care is the only option left, urging them to return home. Meanwhile, in their home country, countless children die from malnutrition, women perish while trying to give life, and sexual violence and protection failures continue to claim vulnerable lives. Waterborne diseases and poor sanitation remain rampant and deadly.

Despite having nearly 20,000 trained doctors, the DRC maintains a healthcare coverage rate of only 8.9%, a shocking gap compared to neighboring countries such as Angola (70.5%), Congo-Brazzaville (52.7%), Rwanda (43.2%), and Burundi (37.2%). These gaps are largely due to security risks, poor working conditions, and a general deterioration of public health infrastructure. The private sector has outpaced the public one, recruitment is often based on connections rather than merit or excellence, and salaries are deeply inadequate. Medical schools continue to produce more doctors than the system can absorb due to the outdated, post-colonial educational model, which remains practice-oriented rather than research-driven. The result is a fragile and crumbling healthcare system.

Yes, our health system is still rudimentary in many areas and desperately needs modernization—both in infrastructure and in service delivery. However, public mistrust in the system exacerbates the problem. Many people are unaware of the quality services or skilled practitioners available right next to them. Even some healthcare providers are unaware of resources and expertise available in nearby communities.

Now is the time to build a two-way platform that informs both the public and healthcare providers about the country’s institutional capacity and the individual medical expertise available—including that of the Congolese diaspora—through a remote referral system. The time has come to revalue our human capital.

Yes, it is time for a medical platform that, in addition to lobbying national authorities for improvements in healthcare quality and system-wide reform, serves as a neutral, non-syndicalist voice and a permanent, innovative partner to policy makers. It is time for the medical community to take ownership of the country’s health and socio-health well-being, and for the Congolese government to reinvest in the organization and quality of health services, to reclaim its sovereign role in health governance, and to develop a national health sector employment policy. This, ultimately, is the path to the development of the DRC—and of the African continent.

In this age of globalization and communication, where telemedicine is transforming healthcare, Congolese healthcare providers—and the public—must leverage digital technology for continuing education and collaborative learning. Through experience-sharing and professional exchange, medical education can evolve into a high-impact model based on evidence, observation, practice, and publication.

The Diaspora Médicale Plus-RDC platform aims to become a trusted space for medical networking, capacity strengthening, and public information—not only within the DRC, but across Africa and beyond. It supports both national and international NGOs working in health, and welcomes collaboration with governments, medical schools, and frontline providers, especially in low-resource settings where many of us have demonstrated adaptability and excellence.

We believe it is time to innovate in medicine in the DRC and in all developing countries—through telehealth services, appropriate patient orientation, and evidence-based care delivery.

Motivated by a strong desire to foster social and professional cohesion, and drawing from vast and diverse experience—from stable health systems to crisis zones—the Congolese medical diaspora, made up of general practitioners, medical specialists (clinical and public health), and academic professionals, has come together to create the Diaspora Médicale Plus-RDC, a non-profit association.

It brings together Congolese doctors from both the diaspora and the homeland (RDC), united by shared values, expertise, and a commitment to service. Together, they have launched the Professional Development Framework Based on Evident Experience (PDFBEE)—a unique and innovative model that connects medical excellence, community health protection, and development-oriented care in low-resource settings.

This network gathers dozens—potentially hundreds—of healthcare professionals from around the globe, committed to improving healthcare quality, designing context-adapted treatment protocols, promoting health and protection, and leveraging community engagement and global expertise to meet the health needs of vulnerable populations.

This is more than a platform. It is a source of proven competencies, a consulting hub, and a continuous learning space for healthcare professionals and institutions worldwide.