Shungu Clinic’s hypertension program saves lives

• The clinic is an important resource for pregnant women and other patients in the Kamina area dealing with high blood pressure.

• Staff and community health workers also focus on educating people in surrounding villages on healthy practices, food production and other topics.

By the Rev. Dr. Betty Kazadi Musau

Sept. 8, 2025 | KAMINA, Congo

Ngoy Monga De Mama did not know how she was brought to the Shungu Clinic. Pregnant, she was working in the field on her family’s farm when she collapsed.

The 28-year-old mother of six was in critical condition when she came to the clinic.

After her blood pressure was stabilized, she gave birth to a son.

“I am happy that nurses have helped me reduce my blood pressure and invited me to drink a lot of water to eliminate dizziness,” she said.

The nurses and staff at Shungu Clinic are trained and equipped for dealing with high blood pressure, or hypertension. The clinic, which receives support from Harper Hill Global, has become a resource not only for pregnant women but for all patients dealing with hypertension.

“The program saves lives,” said Dr. Patrick Ilunga Kilunji, who is in charge of the hypertension program at Shungu Clinic.

During her pregnancy, Monga visited Shungu Clinic twice, and otherwise, she was working on the farm with her husband. “I was at the farm to do vegetable gardening during this season to produce seasonal vegetables, sell them and generate income” to cover the children’s school costs, she told the doctors and nurses surrounding her after delivery.

She acknowledged that she needed to keep rules regarding her health, including avoiding salt and heavy work. When nurses did a follow-up visit, she reported that she was able to breastfeed and her baby was fine.

The nurses and doctors with Shungu Clinic work to raise awareness of the hypertension program in villages surrounding Kamina, the provincial capital. Whenever medical teams visit a village, they focus not only on women and their health, but also on education, covering such topics as cleanliness, food safety, lifestyle and child hygiene.

In addition to staff, Shungu Clinic provides hypertension training to community health workers, who encourage pregnant women to have prenatal care. When a pregnant woman doesn’t go to the clinic, community health workers visit her at home. In Monga’s case, she had two prenatal care visits and otherwise was in the field with her husband while community health workers looked for her.

Some women who become pregnant will leave their home and settle in the field, where they build a temporary house. They may even give birth in the field – and some women have died due to lack of care.

Food plays a role in maintaining balanced blood pressure. The Shungu Clinic nurses and community health workers give lessons to pregnant women on such topics as how good nutrition can reduce the medical bill. Chief nurse Mwepu Muleka, who has been at the clinic for 20 years, said the community health workers also teach about food production, such as raising poultry and rabbits and growing vegetables.

Through publicity in local media, nurses have come to Shungu Clinic to be trained on using hypertension testing machines, and local medical schools send students there for internships.

A hypertension testing machine was also provided to the nearby United Methodist Lupandilo health center.

“I treat pregnant women and help them to deliver well,” said Malu Mpaka Angel, a nurse since 2010, who works at the Lupandilo health center. “I advise women to eat well and avoid a lot of salt. As a woman, I really tell fellow women to eat well, and when they come to the health center, I use the machine and test them. I always advise pregnant women to walk to be fit.’’

Harper Hill Global began the hypertension program in 2021, providing blood-pressure machines and low-dose aspirin to Shungu Clinic, as well as developing promotional materials, such as a video and song. The program is funded through Colleagues in Care, and its scope has broadened to include other clinics, which also receive educational materials and hypertension machines, said the Rev. Neelley Hicks, executive director of Harper Hill Global.

In addition to Kamina, the program serves areas such as Lwembe, Kasanya, Kabongo, Lwena and Nyembo, where doctors continually assess the health of pregnant women and provide care. The medical team does an ongoing weekly consultation, and it shares advice and diet information so that pregnant women can practice self-care. In addition, Hicks said, the program has added blood-pressure testing at annual conference gatherings and other events.

Kazadi Musau is director of communication for The United Methodist Church’s North Katanga Episcopal Area.

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