Traditionally Fometro's core business was fighting sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis. This disease is widespread in central Africa, is transmitted by the tsetse fly - and is deadly without medical treatment. Afflicted people are actively traced by special mobile units and subsequently treated with powerful drugs.
Nowadays Fometro is still in charge of this effort in the DRC in South Maniema, North Katanga and Sankuru regions.

From the very beginning, Fometro was one of the pioneering agencies that promoted primary health care in the DRC (the delivery of health care at grass roots level to different populations). Before 1990 Fometro was running 40 health districts on behalf of the Congolese government. Today Fometro is still supporting six health districts in DRC: three in Bas-Congo province (Gombe Matadi, Kangu and Mangembo), two in Bandundu province (Mushie and Kwamouth) and one in south Maniema (Kasongo). The main objective is to integrate the war on major endemic diseases (such as sleeping sickness, malaria and AIDS) into the primary health care system.

From 2001 on, Fometro has committed itself actively to the fight against AIDS in DRC. At present it is heavily involved on behalf of the Congolese government in:

• Delivering laboratory equipment and supplies
• Training of health personnel in techniques for serological testing of HIV
• Training of health personnel and delivery of drugs and supplies for :
• diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic diseases
• diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases
• treatment and follow up of AIDS patients with generic anti-retroviral therapy (starting in 2005)

Fometro is active member of Coprogram, Acodev and Because Health.