University of Goma

Rapid urban growth and increasing water demand in Bunia City, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, are placing growing pressure on groundwater resources, while surface water supply remains limited. In crystalline basement environments, groundwater occurrence is typically heterogeneous and strongly controlled by weathering processes and fracture networks. This study evaluates the groundwater potential of the western part of Bunia using the natural electromagnetic field (NEF) method implemented with the PQWT-M200 system. Eight geophysical profiles were acquired, producing two-dimensional geoelectrical sections with investigation depths reaching approximately 200 m. The results reveal a heterogeneous subsurface composed of multiple geoelectric units and highlight a three-tier hydrogeological system.: (i) a shallow weathered zone (0–30 m) with limited storage and high seasonal variability, (ii) an intermediate fractured and weathered zone (30–60, locally extending to 80 m) representing the most favorable groundwater targets, and (iii) a deep fractured system (> 180 m) with more uncertain hydrogeological significance. These systems are locally interconnected by subvertical fracture networks, forming a multi-level hydrogeological configuration. Conductive anomalies identified in the NEF data are interpreted as indicative of fractured or weathered zones potentially favorable for groundwater occurrence, although they may also reflect clay-rich materials. Among the investigated sections, profile 4 shows the most promising conditions for borehole siting. Overall, the NEF-PQWT approach proves to be a rapid and cost-effective tool for preliminary groundwater exploration in crystalline basement environments, but its results remain indicative and require validation through drilling and complementary hydrogeological investigations.

Children and adolescents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) frequently endure significant challenges and traumas that carry lasting implications for adult health. Decades of conflict in the DRC have left many women with childhood trauma, which often manifests as psychosocial problems during pregnancy. We investigated the associations between childhood traumas and the psychosocial experiences of pregnancy in adulthood. Cross-sectional data from a longitudinal cohort study of 98 pregnant adult women from the HEAL Africa Maternity Ward in Goma, DRC, were analyzed using bivariate and multiple logistic regression models. Four categories of childhood trauma (sexual abuse, childhood adversity, general trauma, war trauma) were tested for association with seven psychosocial pregnancy experiences (major stress, alcohol use, wanted pregnancy, physical abuse, emotional abuse, fear for life). Childhood sexual abuse was associated with higher odds for major stress, physical abuse, and emotional abuse during pregnancy in both regression models. In the bivariate regression model, only childhood adversity was associated with higher odds for major stress, general trauma was associated with higher odds for major stress, problems, and emotional abuse during pregnancy; war trauma was associated with higher odds for major stress and problems during pregnancy. These findings emphasize the profound impact of childhood trauma on psychosocial pregnancy experiences and highlight the critical implications for the care of pregnant women from high-conflict zones. A trauma-informed care approach, coupled with perinatal psychosocial support that considers DRC's social and political context, is recommended to improve psychosocial pregnancy experiences.

Diversifying psychology through including understudied populations is a well agreed upon goal within the field (Corrington et al., 2020). However, several challenges hinder progress towards achieving this goal. One major challenge is accessibility. Reaching understudied populations often requires testing participants in their communities. In our work with different populations in Africa, touch screen tablets are an excellent tool for enabling data collection in community settings. They work well with participants of all ages, including those with little to no exposure to technology or formal education. However, developing tablet-based cognitive tasks that function without internet connection typically requires knowledge of app development and programming skills beyond that available to many researchers. To fill this gap, we created ZolaBongo, a tablet-based application supporting tasks created in commonly used open-source experiment builders such as PsychoPy. We tested ZolaBongo with children (age 4+, N = 170) and adults (N = 178) at two sites, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in South Africa. Specifically, we tested a set of short cognitive tasks, measuring reasoning, executive function, and working memory. These tasks were chosen by our community of practice, The African Brain and Cognitive Development Network (AfriBCD). We show that collecting data on these tasks using ZolaBongo works. Our hope is that ZolaBongo will make it easier to translate, adapt, or create new measures, all necessary steps to facilitate research with diverse populations and contexts.

Cholera remains a persistent public health challenge in Goma, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study assessed seasonal variation, temporal trends, and factors associated with PCR-confirmed cholera in Goma city and surrounding health zones (2020–2024) using a multilevel analytical approach to support targeted public health interventions. We analysed 18,929 patients tested for cholera by PCR between 2020 and 2024. Age, sex, season, year, and health zone were examined. Environmental, WASH-related, and intervention-related variables were unavailable in the surveillance database and, therefore, could not be included. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression assessed factors associated with PCR positivity, accounting for clustering at the health zone level and seasonal effects. Overall PCR positivity rate was 32.5

Background: Gastritis is a common condition in sub-Saharan Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At the community-level in Goma, eastern DRC, knowledge, attitudes, and norms related to gastritis have not previously been assessed, despite the potential for serious complications, including peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, and an increased risk of gastric cancer. The objective was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Goma population regarding gastritis.Method: In January 2024, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in the city of Goma using a pretested questionnaire administered via the Kobo Toolbox platform. The survey, administered in Swahili or French by a team of 10 interviewers, assessed participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding gastritis.Results: A total of 1019 participants completed the survey. Of those, 51% were male, with a mean age of 29 years (range, 15-78 years). Just over half of the participants (53%) resided in an urban commune. Nearly 80% reported familiarity with gastritis, with medical personnel cited as the most frequent source of information (31%). Sixty percent reported having a family member affected by gastritis. Stress was identified as a causative factor of gastritis by 80% of respondents, while 40% attributed gastritis to an infectious cause. Clinically, gastritis was most commonly described as dull upper or mid-abdomen pain (69%). Medication was considered the mainstay of treatment by 78% of participants. The female gender was associated with a higher risk of gastritis, and were more likely to take medication. (p-value < 0.01).Conclusion: Overall, knowledge regarding gastritis was relatively high in Goma, particularly among women and university-educated individuals. Given these findings, targeted educational interventions and health strategies should focus on younger populations, men, and individuals without university education, who demonstrated lower levels of knowledge. Such initiatives could enhance awareness of gastritis and improve its management.