The Last Faces of Polio
An Investigation in the DRC, at the Heart of One of the Last Epidemic Zones 
A report by Amélie Constant (text) and Guillaume Binet / MYOP (photos) With support from the United Nations Foundation.

In October 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, optimistically declared that the eradication of polio was within reach. However, on the ground, the reality is quite different, especially in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where this disease continues to spread.

In the provinces of North and South Kivu, vaccination efforts and hygiene measures face substantial obstacles: villages under rebel control, lack of access to healthcare, and the spread of misinformation. Pygmy populations, in particular, are subject to rumors of a supposed natural immunity.

Polio leads to cruel discrimination: women are married and then abandoned, children are mocked and left behind, and both public and private spaces remain inaccessible to people with disabilities. Inspiring personal initiatives are emerging: disabled athletes are organizing, rehabilitation centers provide educational and job opportunities, and safe villages are created for the most vulnerable.

This report sheds light on the challenges and hopes in the fight against polio in the DRC, revealing the resilience of the victims and the solidarity within communities as they face this struggle.