Exhibition will be ended next Monday

"Democratic Republic of Congo: The Forgotten War" Photo Exhibition organised by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Hong Kong, Macao Digital Photography Association and Macau Arts Affair Institute will be ending next Monday, 5 June 2006. The photos shown in this exhibition will be sent to Australia from Macao to continue the world tour. In order not to miss the precious chance to know more about this part of the world, those who are interested are invited to seize this last opportunity to visit the Macao stop of the photo exhibition.

It is estimated that 3.9 million people have died needlessly since civil war broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1998. Some people were killed because of the violence, but the great majority died from preventable diseases like malaria and measles.

Recent assessment reveals that people in the DRC still lack medical care

Dr. Maria Overbeck, MSF Medical Coordinator in Katanga, eastern province in the DRC, said that although almost all the villages in the area north of Dubie in Katanga was destroyed in the conflicts in the end of last year, some people are still living there and have no access to healthcare.

MSF team set off on a recce to that region in mid-April. Dr. Overbeck said that the infrastructure there was virtually non-existent, roads were overgrown with grass and bushes, houses and bridges were completely destroyed. The team took four days to reach the first inhabited village with the help of locals. Residents were so overjoyed to see them. "I have rarely met with such a grand welcome, even though these people had nothing left, their clothes were nothing but rags, and they have to live in appalling conditions." She added that the people there have been through some terrible times. Families have been living in the bush for years with no medical care whatsoever. They had no assistance with pregnancies and births, and a lot of young children died of diseases which could have been treated.

"Our arrival brought them hope that things are about to change for them", said Dr. Overbeck. And after the journey to six villages, the team knew that they urgently had to take action to improve those people's lives, especially from a medical perspective. MSF will offer medical care in the surrounding villages through mobile clinics, which includes providing clean drinking water and latrines as well as basic health care such as measles vaccination for children and treating severe malnutrition.

MSF provides a wide range of medical relief in the DRC

MSF has been working in the DRC since 1981 to provide a wide range of services including primary and secondary health care, treatment of malnutrition, emergency surgery, mobile health care, treatment of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, care for sexual violence victims, and response to disease outbreaks.

In the summer of 2005, five world-renowned photographers Ron Haviv, Gary Knight, Antonin Kratochvil, Joachim Ladefoged and James Nachtwey travelled to the DRC where MSF is running emergency medical programmes for thousands of people affected by the ongoing civil war. The result is the "Democratic Republic of Congo: the forgotten war" photo exhibition tour all over the world.

"Democratic Republic of Congo: The Forgotten War" Photo Exhibition

Date: Today - 5 June 2006
Opening Hours: 11am - 7pm (11am - 3pm for 5 June)
Venue: Sala de Exposição Comendador Ho Yin do Clube Militar de Macau
Enquiry: +852 2338 8277
Fax: +852 2337 5442
Website: www.msf.org.hk
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