More than 10 years of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, compounded by decades of socioeconomic decline under dictator Mobutu Sésé Seko, have left the country’s healthcare system on its knees.

In the absence of reliable data, it is impossible to be sure of the number of people who have died because of conflict over the past two decades, but the International Rescue Committee puts the number at 5.4m. Although the accuracy of this figure has been questioned, it is used for working purposes by aid agencies working in Congo.