Yamoussoukro - On Friday in Padua, Doctors with Africa Cuamm presented their 2023 social report, highlighting a year of dedicated efforts to ensure health protection for African populations. This year, their efforts extended to a new country, Ivory Coast, making it the ninth country where Cuamm operates. Ranked 166th out of 193 in the Human Development Index, Ivory Coast is a West African country with concerning health indicators.

"In recent years, Ivory Coast has seen growth, but significant social disparities remain, especially between the northern and southern regions. The north is very poor and plagued by the instability of neighboring Sahel states such as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali," explains Giovanni Putoto, head of Planning and Operational Research. "In some areas, like the Abobo district, there is only one hospital with 120 beds for a population of 750,000. Women giving birth are often forced to deliver on the floor. Another urgent need is the training of health personnel; currently, schools have very few classes, which are attended 18 hours a day and are extremely overcrowded. Our current focus is on improving healthcare services, particularly maternal and child services, and enhancing the training of local staff."

In 2023, Cuamm’s efforts in Ivory Coast focused on supporting and coordinating the network of the Union of Religious for Health and Cohesion, as well as renovating and equipping 13 health centers with medicines and medical supplies. They also provided training and updates for health personnel through courses held in 71 health centers across nine regions.

Cuamm's commitment also continued in the other eight countries where they operate. Last year, they assisted 2,063,313 patients, conducted 1,007,608 visits for children under five, provided 307,183 prenatal visits, assisted 266,976 deliveries, administered antiretroviral therapy to 26,363 patients, handled 10,661 emergency obstetric transports, treated 4,236 malnourished children, and trained 4,245 health workers. "Behind these numbers are lives, stories, people, mothers, and children from eight Sub-Saharan African countries," said Fabio Manenti, head of Cuamm’s Project Sector. "We operate in both stable, developing contexts, like Uganda and Tanzania, and in unstable, fragile countries where humanitarian emergencies are common. Remember, 80% of migrations remain within Africa and mostly consist of internally displaced persons moving due to insecurity, famine, or the effects of climate change. There are also refugees fleeing war to other countries. For instance, Ethiopia has over 3 million internally displaced persons due to the recent war in Tigray, which has caused widespread instability. Ethiopia is also severely affected by climate change, with the South Omo area still suffering from heavy floods that have recently rendered four out of five health centers unusable. In South Sudan, a very fragile country, over 2 million internally displaced persons now witness return migrations, where South Sudanese who fled to Sudan are returning due to a largely unreported war."

In fragile countries like the Central African Republic, Cuamm expanded its intervention in 2023 with the arrival of two doctors in Bossangoa, about 300 km from the capital Bangui, one of the poorest areas in the country. "The Central African Republic is one of the latest countries where Cuamm has started working. It is extremely insecure and unstable. We began our work here in 2018 at the pediatric hospital in the capital. After studying and dialoguing with the authorities, we launched our intervention in Bossangoa, where healthcare services are almost non-existent," says Viviana Gomiero, project desk officer for Central Africa. "Currently, we are working in the Maternity Ward of the Hospital, which cannot be considered a proper ward. There are dilapidated beds and a chronic lack of tools and specialized healthcare personnel. Around 100 deliveries are performed each month, 8% of which are cesarean sections. We support the local staff, provide medicines, and have started a hybrid referral system with ambulances and motorcycles, which are crucial in remote areas to reach the Hospital. Future challenges include renovating the Maternity Ward and starting a school for midwives and birth assistants."

Cuamm's work also continues in Italy. Fulvia Caruso, a Cuamm volunteer, describes part of this commitment in Padua, where they support the Immigration Office, which receives an average of 250-300 visits daily. About 20 volunteers have donated over 12,000 hours of their free time, ensuring their presence from Monday to Friday in two shifts. Besides managing the reception phase to facilitate the processing of applications and streamline procedures at the counters, their activities have expanded to support the switchboard and back-office services.

Drawing conclusions and looking to the future, Director Don Dante Carraro said, "This year, our commitment to ensuring the right to healthcare for the poorest in Africa continued. We have a duty to support the most vulnerable, especially when situations become complicated. Every year, 280,000 mothers die in childbirth, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa—a painful statistic that cannot leave us indifferent. To address this, we need human resources ready to go and financial resources. I am very grateful to everyone who shares and believes in what we do. Without health, there is no growth, no future. Health must be prioritized: this will be the theme for the next Cuamm Annual Meeting in Turin on November 16. It will be our way of making our voice heard for and with the poorest in Africa." (9colonne)