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Qualitative Evaluation of Health Service Utilization in the Kenge Health Zone, Kwango Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Abstract
Introduction
The population of the Kenge health zone faces serious difficulties in accessing quality healthcare. A prior study revealed that only 38.8% of the population used formal health facilities, whereas 39.3% preferred self-medication and 15.1% resorted to traditional treatment (Nsungu, 2023).
Purpose
This study evaluated the quality and utilization of health services to determine organizational performance within the Kenge health zone.
Methods
A retrospective descriptive empirical study was conducted across 20 randomly selected health areas in the Kenge health zone. Data were extracted from the Public Utility Establishment for Performance-Based Financing (EUP-FBP) quality assessment tool developed by the Health System Development Project (PDSS), comprising 15 standard evaluation domains.
Results
Out of a maximum score of 402 points, the health zone obtained 231.25 points (57.5%) in 2024 and 243.25 points (60.5%) in 2025, representing a slight improvement of 3.0%.
Conclusion
Based on the 80% benchmark established by the PDSS, organizational performance and service utilization remain low. Although minor progress occurred in 2025, healthcare services remain underutilized by the community.
