Critical stage completed in the fight against cholera in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Initiated by the Veolia Foundation, the programme to fight cholera in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has just passed a critical stage. Following a lengthy preparatory phase, Regideso signed a contract for a three years renovation of the potable water generation and distribution system in the Eastern city of Uvira.


The Foundation’s commitment in the fight against cholera is showing no signs of relenting. Late last February in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Foundation brought together in Kinshasa the principal project partners for the official signing of the construction contract with Regideso, the National authority in charge of water management.

With a total of €10m in funding from the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union, Oxfam of the U.K. and the Veolia Foundation, the project will double the treatment capacity at the plant, install a 2,000-cubic-metre reservoir; connect 3,000 private households; install close to one hundred fountain kiosks and more. The project includes a precise scientific follow-up which will provide evidence of the direct impact that access to water can have on eradicating the disease, as well as a community structure that will improve awareness among users of the necessity for proper water management. Ultimately, over 200,000 residents of this city in the South Kivu province (an area that was previously identified as a cholera “hot spot” by epidemiological studies) will have a stable water supply. Construction will be managed by a specialised company chosen from an international call for tenders. The Veolia Foundation continues its mission by  assisting Regideso with supervision of the project management

The signing of the contract took place in the presence of representatives from the European Union, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Veolia Foundation, all of whom are motivated by a shared conviction: access to water is the best weapon in the fight against cholera and other water-borne diseases.

---

In the foreground, left to right: Jacques Mukalay Mwema, Managing Director of the Regideso, and Hassan Hassoun, Managing Director of The Arab Contractors, DRC.
In the background, left to right: Marco Parolin, Infrastructures Manager at the European Union’s DRC Office, Jean-Christophe Maurin, AFD Director in the DRC, Thierry Vandevelde, Managing Director of the Veolia Foundation, and Cheikh Fall, Central Director at the Regideso.