years in prison for “breach of State security" in all political, elective and administrative and “illegal possession of weapons and functions. ammunition of war”. The UN Working Group RIGHT TO HEALTH on Arbitrary Detention considered his detention as arbitrary. The authorities made insufficient efforts to FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND guarantee the accessibility, availability, and MOVEMENT quality of healthcare and facilities. The health budget was reduced to €290 Raymond Malonga, director of the satirical million from the 2020 figure of €325 million. newspaper Sel-Piment, was arrested on 2 Hospitals, including the Brazzaville University February while in hospital, on defamation and Hospital Centre, faced many difficulties, charges for publishing an article which including shortages of water and electricity reported that someone close to President and the lack of proper facilities and 1 Sassou Nguesso had been accused of equipment to administrate the needed care. corruption. On 3 May, after three months in In August, the government made changes to detention, he was sentenced to six months in the management of the Brazzaville University prison and a fine of €45,000 for “defaming a and Hospital Centre, noting major member of the presidential family”. He was malfunctions. Several health facilities outside released in August. the capital city, Brazzaville, also experienced On 11 December, Paulin Makaya, a political frequent drug shortages. opponent who needed to receive medical Health personnel continued to complain of treatment abroad, was prevented from a lack of PPE against Covid-19, as they had leaving the country and his passport was since the beginning of the pandemic. As of confiscated. The authorities did not explain 31 December, 767,398 doses of vaccines their decision. He was finally allowed to leave against Covid-19 had been administered, but the country on 21 December. only 560,880 people had completed the vaccination schedule (in an estimated WOMEN’S RIGHTS population of 5.5 million). Women remained under-represented in On 18 June, health workers from Edith decision-making bodies, in violation of Article Lucie Bongo Ondimba General Hospital in 17 of the 2015 Constitution, which the town of Oyo went on strike, demanding “guarantees parity and ensures the the payment of at least seven months of promotion as well as the representativeness salary arrears. This was in addition to the of women in all political, elective and many strikes held by health workers to administrative functions”. denounce salary arrears and malfunctions in On the occasion of International Women’s health facilities in recent years, a situation Day, 8 March, the Ministry of Health, which has led many health workers to leave Population, Promotion of Women, and the public sector to work in the private sector Integration of Women in Development or to work abroad. According to the National regretted that women represented only 33% Health Development Plan 2018-2022, more of the members of the Constitutional Court, than 150 Congolese doctors were said to be 20% of elected officials in the senate and practising outside the country. 11% in the national assembly. In August, the ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION Consultative Council for Women called on the authorities to adopt the Parity Law, planned Local populations in the department of since 2016, as recommended by the CEDAW Sangha denounced the pollution of rivers and Committee in November 2018. The law is deforestation caused by more than 10 years meant to guarantee parity and ensure the of gold mining. According to the Rainforest promotion and representativeness of women Journalism Fund, the companies responsible failed to respect environmental laws, and the Amnesty International Report 2021/22 136