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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Rosie Swash

‘Staggering’ rise in women with reproductive health issues near DRC cobalt mines – study

DRC Mining
A woman stands facing some standing water, surrounded by washing spread out to dry.
More than half of those interviewed raised concerns about their reproductive health or that of family members. Photograph: Raid

Women and girls living in cobalt-mining communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are reporting a “staggering” rise in serious reproductive health issues, including miscarriages and birth defects, according to a new report.

An investigation published by the UK-based human rights group Rights & Accountability in Development (Raid) and the Kinshasa-based NGO Afrewatch said that women and girls living around cobalt mines reported experiencing irregular menstruations, urogenital infections, vaginal mycoses and warts.

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