How Dead Bodies Are Transported To And From The Mortuary In Some Parts Of Africa
In most eastern parts of DRC, dead bodies of humans are delivered to and from the mortuary by motorcycles. It’s incredible that no other mode of transportation is being used.
Commercial motorcycle riders are hired to transport dead bodies to the morgue by strapping the bodies to their bikes. They are hired by relatives of the dead to carry out assignment at agreed cost.
In Africa cultures, morality and respect for the dead and bereaved demand that the body is treated with respect and given a proper send-off.
State of transport infrastructure in DRC
Ground transportation has always been challenging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Congo Basin’s terrain and temperature provide significant challenges to road and rail construction, and the distances between cities are huge.
Civil ears wreaked havoc on the country’s transportation infrastructure, which it has yet to recover from. Militias burned or seized a large number of automobiles, particularly in the north and east of the country.
As a result, private and commercial road transportation outside of big cities is virtually non-existent. The UN, NGOs, the DRC government, and a few larger firms, such as those in the mining and energy industries, operate the few vehicles that are used outside of these cities.
However, for the average population, especially in rural areas, cycling, walking, or traveling by dugout canoe are frequently the only possibilities.
Political instability, a lack of infrastructure, corruption, and centuries of commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation have left the DRC with little general growth. The Human Development Index placed the Democratic Republic of the Congo 175th out of 189 countries in 2019.
Conflicts in the DRC’s central and eastern regions have forced over one million Congolese to flee to neighboring countries as of 2021. Two million children are on the verge of becoming hungry, and 4.5 million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict.
Impact of Ebola and COVID-19 outbreak on this mode of transportation
Since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, its accompanying shocks have had negative social and economic consequences, as well as damaging coping techniques and disruptions in health and other fundamental services.
COVID-19 is spread by inhaling contaminated air droplets and tiny virus-containing airborne particles. Transmission can also occur if contaminated fluids are splashed or sprayed in the eyes, nose, or mouth, as well as contaminated surfaces.
The Ebola virus disease outbreak that ravaged eastern DRC from 2018 to 2020 claimed the lives of 3,470 people. The outbreak became the largest Ebola outbreak in DRC history and the second-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history, trailing only the West African pandemic of 2013–2016.
The Ebola virus can be found in a range of physiological fluids, breast milk, saliva, feces, blood, and sperm, making it extremely contagious.
Why government bans the use of motorcycles?
Motorists were not observing health regulations that were put in place. There were no health officials to ascertain the cause of death so proactive measures could be taken.
The country’s health officials have outlawed the use of motorcycles to carry dead bodies, replacing it with a complicated system designed to prevent the spread of Ebola, coronavirus, and other fatal infections. Due to stringent limitations and rules aimed at managing the pandemic that has no cure, burial rites,s, and public prayers have been phased out.
The government is informing the public about health issues and how to avoid COVID and Ebola. Because burial customs entail kissing and generally touching bodies, the WHO and government have labeled transportation of dead bodies and funerals as “super-spreading activities.”
Content created and supplied by: yator.enock
