EVIHDAF is conducting the baseline study for the PRESYS Project in the DRC and Chad. To implement this study commissioned by Oxfam-Québec, EVIHDAF is collaborating with its partners LAEREG in Chad and EXPERTS in the DRC. The study aims to provide the essential baseline data needed to guide project implementation, monitor progress, and support evidence-based decision-making.

About the PRESYS Project

Funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by a consortium led by Oxfam-Québec in partnership with Santé Monde, the PRESYS Project operates in contexts marked by health, social, and humanitarian fragility. An ambitious regional initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of health systems in fragile areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad, the project focuses in particular on Lac and Barh El Gazel provinces in Chad, as well as Equateur province in the DRC, where populations face persistent challenges related to conflict, displacement, epidemics, and inequalities in access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Study Objectives

The baseline study seeks to generate comprehensive and policy‑relevant data. The study aims to:

• Document baseline values for the Performance Measurement Framework (PMF);
• Analyze gender norms and women’s and adolescent girls’ decision‑making power through a dedicated module inspired by the Gender Equality Measures Scale (GEMS), adapted to the local context and administered to both women and men;
• Assess the availability and capacity of health facilities through a comprehensive Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA);
• Identify health system resilience and the impact of shocks (security‑related, climatic, and epidemic), distinguishing between hard resilience and soft resilience;
• Examine laws, policies, and protocols that influence equity and ethical practices in emergency contexts.

A Rigorous, Mixed, and Inclusive Approach

To produce analysis that is both rigorous and actionable, EVIHDAF is implementing a mixed-methods approach that combines household surveys, health facility assessments, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and document review. The study also adopts a feminist and intersectional approach to better understand the lived realities of women, adolescent girls, displaced populations, and other historically marginalized groups.

EVIHDAF’s Commitment

Through this study, EVIHDAF reaffirms its commitment to generating high-quality evidence to inform public policy, strengthen accountability, and support more effective health interventions. By conducting the baseline study for the PRESYS Project, our institution is helping to amplify the needs of the most vulnerable communities and promote more resilient, inclusive, and equitable health systems in Central Africa.