Central African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic — In the main ward of Bangui’s Hôpital Communautaire, the air is heavy and warm. A single ceiling fan turns lazily, its blades pushing stale air over a row of narrow metal beds. The light flickers, as it does most days. On one of the beds, a girl of six lies motionless beneath a thin sheet. She is being treated for severe malaria. The nurse at her side has no gloves, no running water, and no working thermometer. Such scenes unfold daily across the Central African Republic (CAR), where the health system has been worn thin by decades of conflict and neglect. Once ranked among the lowest...