Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the project titled “Strengthening Neonatology in Ethiopia AID 012958,” is launching a Local Open Tender to select a construction company to carry out construction works for the renovation of Black Lion Hospital NICU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Author: Redazione Cuamm
A new commitment in Burkina Faso
A new commitment in a country we have known and worked in in the past. A three-year project was launched yesterday in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, at the Bogodogo University Hospital Center focused on the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and C. This initiative led by the University of Padua (UNIPD) and implemented in partnership with CUAMM and the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) fully aligns with the objectives of Universal Health Coverage promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Present at the launch event were the Italian ambassador Gabriele di Muzio, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Health Dr. Robert Kargougou, our director Don Dante Carraro, Dr. Giovanni Putoto – Head of Planning and Operational Research), Claudia Mocci – Project Manager, and Professor Francesco Paolo Russo from the Department of Surgical, Oncological, and Gastroenterological Sciences at the University of Padua.
“This is a sort of a return for us,” said Giovanni Putoto, Head of Planning and Operational Research. “CUAMM worked in Burkina Faso for about ten years, between the 1980s and 1990s. Today, as the country faces a period of great internal instability, we return with a specific intervention. The hepatitis project, which we embraced in collaboration with the University of Padua and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, once again brings us close to the most vulnerable—especially mothers and children, who have always been at the center of our work.”
In Burkina Faso, viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of illness and death, with hepatitis B (HBV) affecting an estimated 10% of the general population. The risk is significantly higher among vulnerable groups, who have always been the focus of our work. Pregnant women are particularly at risk: due to the high likelihood of vertical (mother-to-child) transmission, the consequences can also be serious for newborns.
In low-resource settings, poor diagnosis services and barriers in accessing treatment hinder the control of such diseases putting at risk the life of many. If not detected in time and without appropriate clinical care, the consequences can be fatal.
The initiative is a multidisciplinary one: the research component will be led by the University of Padua’s Department of Surgical, Oncological, and Gastroenterological Sciences (DiSCOG), directed by Professor Umberto Cillo, with the specialized contributions of hepatologists and gastroenterologists Professor Patrizia Burra and Professor Francesco Paolo Russo. The Italian National Institute of Health will play a key role in epidemiological surveillance, the provision of tools, data sharing, and the implementation of an electronic health records management system while Doctors with Africa CUAMM will oversee the managerial and technical aspects of the project.
The intervention will be centered at the Bogodogo University Hospital Center in Ouagadougou and aims to diagnose and treat around 3,000 pregnant women and children affected by viral hepatitis B and C. The project also includes the specialized training of local healthcare personnel, strengthening their skills to ensure a sustainable healthcare response.
“This project is part of the University of Padua’s long-standing tradition in health cooperation and training, reaffirming the university’s commitment to promoting global health improvement,” stated Professor Francesco Paolo Russo from UNIPD.
The planned activities follow an integrated approach and include:
- Training of local healthcare staff, both in-person and remotely
- Development of scientific research activities
- Clinical management of complex cases
- Provision of diagnostic equipment, tests, medicines, and IT systems for managing medical records
- Contribution to revising protocols for the management of patients with viral hepatitis B and C
- Introduction of software for the management of chronic patients
The project is being implemented in partnership with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and in close collaboration with the local Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
Tender for Rehabilitation Works of Four Health Centers in Shire, Tigray
“The international NGO, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the project titled “Restoration of Essential Health and Nutrition Services in Shire, Tigray AID 05/12882/ETH “, is launching a local open tender to select a construction company to carry out construction works for the rehabilitation of the Umer Health Center & St.Agostina Health Center, Endabaguna Hospital, Alganesh Health Center & Five Angles Health Center, and Shire Suhul Hospital in Shire, Tigray Region, Ethiopia.
00 Local Open Tender Notice Rehabilitation Shire Final
ANNEX I – Declaration of Honour
ANNEX II – Legal Identity form
ANNEX III – Financial Capacity
ANNEX IV – Technical and professiona capacity
ANNEX V – Financial Identification
ANNEX VI – Administrative Compliance Grid
NNEX IX – Special Conditions for Work Contract
ANNEX XI- Technical Specification
BOQ_ Lot 1 – Umer HC and St Agostina HC _ Blank(Revised)
BOQ_ Lot 2- Alganesh Health Center and Five Angles Health Center_Blank
BOQ_ Lot 3- Endabaguna Hospital_Blank
BOQ_ Lot 4- Suhul Shire Accessibility Rehabilitation
LOT 1_St. Agostina HC _ Locations for the civil works
LOT 1_Umer HC _ Locations for the civil works
LOT 2 _ Alganesh HC _ Locations for the civil works
LOT 3_Endabaguna Hospital _ Locations for the civil works
LOT 4 _ Shire Suhul Hospital _ Locations for the civil works
LOT 4A_BOQ 20250310- Suhul Shire Solid Waste and Water Supply
Training to care building competencies in South Sudan
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country and one of the poorest in Sub-Saharan Africa, currently has a population of 12 million, the majority of whom are in need of humanitarian aid. According to the World Bank, the country ranks 192nd out of 193 in terms of human development.
The health situation in South Sudan is dire: 1,223 women die in childbirth for every 100,000 live births—shocking figures that are direct consequence of an extremely fragile national health system where the number of qualified healthcare professionals is highly insufficient.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM’s decision to invest in the training of local health personnel in such a fragile country is therefore a crucial step toward initiating real and sustainable progress in the healthcare system.
Today, we support two nursing and midwifery schools in two different states: Lakes State, home to the Rumbek Health Institute and Western Equatoria, where the Lui Midwifery School is located.
Rumbek Health Institute
Active at the State Hospital of Rumbek since 2017, Doctors with Africa CUAMM extended its support to the attached Institute of Health Sciences in the 2020/2021 academic year, particularly in the midwifery and nursing programs.
Each year, CUAMM’s support includes:
- Food and accommodation for students in need
- Purchase of teaching and stationery materials for nursing and midwifery courses
- Financial support for the annual salary of tutors and the academic director
- Provision of fuel to ensure electricity for the school
- Supply of medical materials for practical lessons and simulations
Since this initiative began, about fifty students graduate each year from the Rumbek Institute of Health Sciences. These young men and women, equipped with a diploma and vocational training, will be able to work on the front lines to improve the health services and systems of their country, becoming agents of change themselves.
“Mine is not just a profession: being a midwife means welcoming life into your hands and always being at the service of women, to promote their well-being. In our culture, there are taboos to overcome — giving birth in a hospital is one of them. Today, I support women in the delicate moment of childbirth, but ensuring their health every day, in every stage of life, remains my mission.” Martha Mochmetin, midwife graduated from the Institute of Health Sciences in Rumbek.
The institute is located in Rumbek Centre County, in the town of Rumbek, the capital of Lakes State. The adjacent hospital, where students carry out their practical training, is a key referral center in the area. In 2023 alone, over 14,300 patients were admitted to the Pediatrics and Maternity wards (8,918 in Pediatrics, 5,399 in Maternity), 3,414 births were attended (including 120 cesarean sections), and 17,690 outpatient visits were provided at the OPD.
Lui Midwifery School
The Lui Midwifery School is located in Mundri East County, Western Equatoria.
Supported by CUAMM since 2014, the school is attached to the Lui Hospital, a facility serving a population of around 170,000 people.
Students attend theoretical classes, study in the library, and carry out practical activities in the hospital wards under the constant guidance of two tutors and the headmistress—personnel specifically recruited by CUAMM to ensure the proper implementation of the ministry’s curriculum.
“Having the opportunity to do clinical practice in a hospital is a real privilege for students. Everything we see in class and read in textbooks can be applied in real situations—whether by observing clinical procedures or by taking part directly.” Judith Abwol, midwife and tutor at the Lui Midwifery School.
The fact that the Lui School is linked to a functioning hospital offers students an ideal environment for continuous learning—something far from common in South Sudan. In addition to practicing in this hospital, students can also gain field experience in peripheral health units and within local communities.
The school includes several buildings: a classroom facility, a dining hall with kitchens, two dormitories, two staff houses, a services area, and a recreational space. The ability for students to live on campus allows many of them to attend classes and continue their studies without major logistical difficulties. CUAMM’s support covers essential living expenses, as well as hygiene kits, school supplies, and all the materials needed for lessons: from mannequins to consumables, from textbooks to whiteboards.
Thank You Pope Francis
«Pope Francis has left us, and the emptiness and sorrow are deep. Until the very end – even as recently as yesterday – he continued to be present. With his people. With his Urbi et Orbi blessing, he wanted to give one final sign of love for our world, so torn apart by wars and yet so beloved and dear to him. We feel an emptiness because we feel we have lost a father – a gentle and firm guide, clear-minded and courageous, a protective presence who walked with us on our journey. A gift. A gift who, until the end, chose to stand with the poor – near and far – and with Africa in particular. He visited some of its most fragile countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. He chose to be with them, with these people. And we felt him close. He was a great help, a great source of hope for all of us at CUAMM Doctors with Africa. He loved that continent – so rich, so beautiful, so full of potential. And he loved it also because it is a continent full of colour, hardship, and humiliation. In today’s world – a world where arrogance, abuse of power, selfish interests, and the humiliation of the poor seem to prevail – Pope Francis never stopped living out solidarity, closeness, and the defense and respect of the most vulnerable. A great gift. That is why our gratitude is so strong. Gratitude to the Good Father who gave him to us. He gave him to a Church that is bruised and weary, yet radiant in its bold declaration that the kingdom we want to build is one of brotherhood and solidarity. He was a simple man for simple people – a man who opposed all injustice and inequality until the very end. With his life, he proclaimed the Gospel of liberation, of dignity, and of hope for every creature, especially the most fragile. Thank you, Pope Francis».
Don Dante Carraro, Director of CUAMM Doctors with Africa
Making the difference in research and field work
Building lasting change from the ground up. One step at a time by working every day alongside the people most in need, without ever losing sight of the importance of dialogue with institutions. This is what Jerry Ictho, doctor and technical advisor at CUAMM Uganda, has learned to do over nearly ten years of collaboration with the Organization.
This year, in April, Jerry came to Italy as lecturer at the training course Implementation Research: three days dedicated to deepening the themes of operational research in the Global South. That’s Jerry’s expertise and his main job at CUAMM. Before joining Doctors with Africa CUAMM, he spent six years working in the national health system, deployed in the rural district of Zombo, in West Nile. Then he met CUAMM and that was an encounter which he describes as a calling: “It’s a mission that deeply touched my heart.”
The opportunity to combine clinical practice, research, and prevention into one strategy for building change convinced him to join the team.
“Our work is always moved by evidence, context analysis, and research,” he explains. “It is an integrated and differentiated approach that allows us to connect the dots and achieve quality results, even where others might get stuck. For us,” he adds, “this is the key tool to bring about structural improvement. It allows us to merge consistent and effective fieldwork with scientific research, in ongoing collaboration with universities. That’s what makes the difference.”
Not only with universities: working side by side with the local health system is also essential to improve the quality of the work being done.
“We’re not here just to provide treatment, but to build something that will last.” Working in remote areas is an essential part of this vision. Yet doctors often prefer to stay in cities, where the standard of living is higher. But with CUAMM, you’re encouraged to get to the hardest-to-reach areas. We work from the ground up: we want to be where the need is greatest.”
A choice that entails complex challenges. Among them, the recent Mpox outbreak, and malaria, which remains widespread. Also, increased rates of malnutrition resulting from the climate crisis, which brings alternating periods of extreme drought and severe flooding — threating agriculture.
And while prevention is key to success in healthcare, putting it into practice ain’t always easy. In refugee camps for example ensuring preventing measure to tackle epidemic outbreak remains a challenge and Uganda is currently the country hosting the largest refugee population in Africa and the 6th largest in the world.
“The doors of our country are open to those in need: in recent times we’ve welcomed many South Sudanese, Congolese… but their living conditions are dare and funds are too often unsufficient”.
The situation has recently been compounded by the aid cut of USAID, which severely affected humanitarian projects in Uganda.
“We had to stop activities, let people go, suspend programs. It was a shock. Politically, the issue is more complex — some believe that this new situation may push the system to reorganize, to make better use of available resources and reduce corruption. But we were absolutely not prepared to do that. The Minister of Health presented the revised budget in light of these cuts, and the numbers are staggering. The impact has been, and continues to be, devastating.”
Despite the difficulties, Jerry doesn’t lose hope.
“With CUAMM, we walk together and find solutions together. In times of difficulty, I remind myself: if you have the chance to make a difference for your country, why wouldn’t you?”
Supplier pre-qualification for the provision of Land Freight Transport service
Supplier pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of Land Freight Transport service.
The NGO Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the implementation of its projects in different Ethiopian Regions, is launching this Local Open Procedure for pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of Land Freight Transport service.
ANNEX Ia – Declaration of Honour
Annex II & III – Technical Specifications technical offer
ANNEX IV – Legal Identity form
ANNEX V – Financial Identification
ANNEX VII – Administrative Compliance Grid
Annex XI – General Conditions for Service Contracts
Annex XII – List of documents to be submitted
Supplier pre-qualification for the provision of Land Freight Transport service
Supplier pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of Land Freight Transport service.
The NGO Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the implementation of its projects in different Ethiopian Regions, is launching this Local Open Procedure for pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of Land Freight Transport service.
ANNEX Ia – Declaration of Honour
Annex II & III – Technical Specifications technical offer
ANNEX IV – Legal Identity form
ANNEX V – Financial Identification
ANNEX VII – Administrative Compliance Grid
Annex XI – General Conditions for Service Contracts
Annex XII – List of documents to be submitted
Supplier pre-qualification for the provision of vehicle rental service
Supplier pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of vehicle rental service.
The NGO Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the implementation of its projects in different Ethiopian Regions, is launching this Local Open Procedure for pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of vehicle rental service.
ANNEX Ia – Declaration of Honour
Annex II & III – Technical Specifications technical offer
ANNEX IV – Legal Identity form
ANNEX V – Financial Identification
ANNEX VII – Administrative Compliance Grid
Supplier pre-qualification for the provision of vehicle rental service
Supplier pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of vehicle rental service.
The NGO Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the implementation of its projects in different Ethiopian Regions, is launching this Local Open Procedure for pre-qualification to participate in procurement procedures for the provision of vehicle rental service.
ANNEX Ia – Declaration of Honour
Annex II & III – Technical Specifications technical offer
ANNEX IV – Legal Identity form
ANNEX V – Financial Identification
ANNEX VII – Administrative Compliance Grid