Building Healthier Communities Together

In Brazzaville and across our rural regions, the daily reality often looks very different from high-level development speeches. Whether it’s a family searching for clean drinking water or a farmer struggling with degraded soil, there is a clear gap between policy and what happens on the ground.

At the Public Interest Science Center (PISC), led by Dr. Armel Landry Batchi-Bouyou, MD, PhD, MPH, CPH, our mission is to close that gap. We believe in "applied science"—research that isn't just for libraries, but for life.

The Malaria Challenge: What the Data Tells Us

Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in the Republic of Congo. According to the most recent WHO 2024 Country Profile (validated as of November 14, 2024), the burden remains heavy, particularly in our rural areas.

While Brazzaville faces its own set of challenges, rural communities often bear a higher burden due to limited access to health services and preventive measures. In the city, transmission is more localized, often linked to stagnant water in specific neighborhoods and inconsistent use of mosquito nets.

Quick Guide: Our Strategic Focus

To make a real impact, we prioritize data-driven action over guesswork. Here is our roadmap:

• Priority: Focus on rural interventions where the need is greatest, while implementing targeted actions in urban "hotspots."

• Resources: Deployment of insecticide-treated nets, Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), antimalarial treatments, and local surveillance.

• Decision-Making: Targeting districts with the highest incidence first and strengthening local data collection to ensure no community is left behind.

PISC Action Areas

Our team of collaborators and volunteers focuses on four interconnected pillars:

1. Health & Water: Improving access to clean water to prevent disease.

2. Climate & Agriculture: Helping farmers adapt to a changing environment to ensure food security.

3. Malaria Prevention & Control: * Raising community awareness.

   • Distributing and promoting the correct use of treated nets.

   • Strengthening diagnostic capacity (RDTs) and treatment supplies.

   • Conducting local epidemiological surveillance to stay ahead of outbreaks.

Moving Forward Together

The road ahead is long, but it is manageable. At PISC, we value effectiveness over "perfection." We want measurable interventions that fit the local context and are guided by the best available data, such as the 2023–2024 official records.

Whether you are a health professional, a student, or a concerned citizen, there is a place for you here. We don't need to change everything at once; we just need to build, step by step, a healthier environment for everyone.

Data Source: WHO Malaria Country Profile 2024 / ReliefWeb.