5th People’s Health Assembly

The escalating the political crisis in Madagascar appears to have reached its peak on September 29, when President Andry Rajoelina announced that he was dissolving the government, following days of mass protests largely led by young people, against chronic water and power outages. The unrest began on September 25 in the capital, Antananarivo, as demonstrators took to the streets demanding reliable access to electricity and potable water, a fundamental challenge for many Malagasy households. What began as largely peaceful marches soon degenerated as security forces intervened decisively. Tear gas was deployed, curfews imposed, and reports emerged of beatings, mass arrests, and even use of live ammunition.