Determinants of self-medication in North Kivu, DRCongo

According to the World Health Organization, "Self-medication is defined as the taking of medication without medical advice, for a condition or symptom that the individual has identified. It involves three steps: self-diagnosis, self-prescription and self-consumption. Taking medication without a prescription or medical follow-up involves risks for the consumer. Several factors motivate the use of self-medication and people take it as an easy way to relieve their ailments without evaluating and appreciating the risks involved. In countries such as the DRCongo where there is less regulation of the sale and marketing of medicines, many people, even without medical skills, pose as sellers of medicines and expose the health of the consumer population; this is often linked to the growing mortality rate in developing countries such as the DR Congo. In the rural health zone of Walikale, our study area, 85% of our respondents are aware that self-medication, although the first recourse in their daily practice, represents potential risks, such as abortions, etc.