Annual Meeting 2024 Health First

PHOTOGALLERY

Over 1,800 people from across Italy gathered in the Giovanni Agnelli Auditorium at Lingotto in Turin for the Annual Meeting of Doctors with Africa CUAMM. “Health First. For Everyone’s Future” was the theme of this event, now in its 14th edition.

After an intense monologue by Neri Marcorè, who performed Giorgio Gaber’s “La Paura” (Fear), the audience was guided by the graceful hosting of Paola Saluzzi on a captivating journey. This journey featured video testimonies from Africa and live voices on stage, creating an emotional crescendo of stories from the field.

 

Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region: «The first word I want to say is ‘Thank you.’ To Don Dante Carraro and everyone, for choosing Turin and Piedmont, a land of culture and values rooted in solidarity. Your presence here is meaningful».

Michela Favaro, Deputy Mayor of Turin: «I am glad to greet you all, on behalf of the city and the mayor. Turin has a long tradition of solidarity and continues with a strong international vocation. We are happy that so many doctors and health workers dedicate themselves to this bridge of hope for the world».

Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of Humanitas referring to the award presented to CUAMM by the Accademia dei Lincei in late June, said: «Serving this cause means working ‘with.’ The participation and enthusiasm for this award highlight CUAMM’s virtuous triangle of medicine: assistance, particularly for children and at-risk mothers, training young professionals, and operational research. This triangle brings extraordinary hope. We give something and return home with even more hope».

Guido Forni, Immunologist, Accademia dei Lincei: «Spurred by Alberto Mantovani, a group of immunologists wrote a book to demonstrate the importance of vaccines. The proceeds will go to CUAMM, and I am proud to be part of this beautiful initiative».

Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: «We must look at Africa through African lenses, valuing its richness without neocolonizing, providing meaningful responses. Thank you for being an operational reference point for Italian Cooperation. We must do more to prevent children from dying before age two or mothers losing their lives during childbirth. This is the foundation of the Mattei Plan, a ‘win-win’ strategy to foster friendship and investment in the continent».

Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation: «Italian banking foundations work locally, but we all feel the need to act on a national level as well. Cooperation leads us to select projects and partners that can truly make a difference».

Don Gabriele Pipinato, CEI: «Last Saturday, I celebrated a 25-year project started with CUAMM, which continues to this day. I recently visited Wolisso, where CUAMM is doing exceptional work as a driving force generating new energy».

The Meeting, as every year, was an opportunity to present data from the extensive program “Mothers and Children First”, explained by Fabio Manenti, Head of Project Department at CUAMM. In its third year, the program supported 101,132 assisted births across eight sub-Saharan African countries where CUAMM operates; 817,916 prenatal visits were conducted; 3,804 malnourished children were treated, and 340 local health managers were trained.

Chiara Maretti, midwife and Country Representative in South Sudan, shared her field experience: «South Sudan is one of the poorest countries, yet it demonstrates incredible resilience. It’s an overused term, but if any population deserves it, it’s South Sudan. Since gaining independence in 2011, the country has faced unrelenting challenges, with extraordinarily high maternal mortality rates. At CUAMM, we support midwifery schools, and witnessing these young, future colleagues attending classes and preparing to help their country gives me joy amid the daily struggles».

Daguma Dereje, Ethiopia’s Deputy Minister of Health, highlighted: «The Ethiopian government has been collaborating with CUAMM for many years in a true partnership. Our healthcare system faces three main challenges: maternal and child mortality exacerbated by poverty, lack of equipment and medicine, communicable and other diseases such as cancer, and a third set of challenges posed by malaria, cholera, and similar disases».

Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray region in Ethiopia, remarked: «The past three years of war have devastated infrastructure and more. We don’t just need to rehabilitate hospitals, on the contrary we need to rebuild the entire system. Guns have gone silent, but thousands live in extreme vulnerability without any services. CUAMM supports us in this. Above all, what matters now is peace».

Agostino Palese, Italian Ambassador to Ethiopia, emphasized: «In the past year, we have invested in what seemed impossible. Our priorities are threefold: healthcare, education, and employment. It’s not about optimism or pessimism, but about working with commitment every day and believing in what we do. We are fostering a paradigm shift, moving from aid to development as a right».

Franca Fagioli, Director of the Pediatrics Specialty School, University of Turin, said: «I believe the JPO program for residents is strategic even for our national territory. It is crucial for developing doctors capable of operating in global, multidisciplinary contexts. These doctors treat patients without or with minimal technology, adapt to diverse cultural settings, and become assets for both host country, themselves, and our national healthcare system».

Elena Altieri, CUAMM pediatrician shared: «Every day in my work in Italy, I draw from my experience as a resident in Tanzania and as a specialist in Mozambique. In Africa, I learned clinical practice by talking to patients, using my heart and hands. There, we learn to use our hands, minds, and a frugal approach to medicine effectively».

Journalist Diamante D’Alessio commented: «Thanks to Massimo Carraro of Morellato, I stumbled upon CUAMM, and from there, my commitment grew to give voice to the remarkable work of doctors on the ground».

Photographer Antonio Biasiucci reflected: «CUAMM’s mission is truly contagious. I often work with metaphors; I could have done this project without going to Uganda, but I felt involved and chose to visit a delivery room in Matany with CUAMM. It was incredibly challenging. Pointing a camera at a woman in labor, possibly delivering a stillborn child, is not easy. It’s an experience I’ll always remember».

Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, shared: «Art and culture play a role in raising awareness and attention on critical causes like CUAMM’s. Art serves aesthetic, political, and social functions. It can align with significant causes to support and help raise funds. We’re launching a new project with CUAMM to send artists to Africa, who will sell their work to support CUAMM».

Simona Sala, Director of Radio Rai 2, proposed: «Good deeds rarely make the news. Talking about the positive is challenging. Today’s conflicts risk further overshadowing Africa. That’s why I’d like to propose an idea for us all to work on next year: 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Bob Geldof’s Live Aid. Organizing a major concert to raise awareness on Africa would be magnificent».

Serge Boni, Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Ivory Coast, noted: «Ivory Coast is fortunate to have a good neonatal and maternal health system, but significant challenges remain in many regions. The maternal mortality rate is far from Europe’s. Our country aspires to reduce this rate because the greatest injustice is a woman dying while giving life. We are grateful for CUAMM’s support».

Giovanni Putoto, CUAMM Head of program and operational research revealed:  «CUAMM is launching a new project at the Abobo hospital in Abidjan. Together with the University of Padua, we will double maternity support, establish a neonatal unit, and ensure essential services like a blood bank. This critical endeavor will focus on research and study».

Andrea Malaguti, Editor-in-Chief of La Stampa, interviewed Romano Prodi about Africa and the Mattei Plan, asking if this intervention is enough and where Europe falls short. Romano Prodi, President of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation, responded: «The Mattei Plan won’t be sufficient. Africa is immeasurably larger than Italy and Europe. While Europe is the continent’s largest donor, it wields no influence, which is a major issue. In contrast, China has diplomatic ties with 54 of Africa’s 55 countries and operates systemically. Europe provides fragmented, short-term aid. CUAMM’s distinguishing strength is its decades-long, continuous presence».

Don Dante Carraro, CUAMM Director, closed the event with a call to support a new training center in Bossangoa, Central African Republic: «At the request of the local Ministry of Health, we aim to establish this center in one of the poorest areas, building on our successful maternity project there. The cost is 1 million, but we are confident we can achieve this with everyone’s help».

 

The Annual Meeting will be aired on TV2000, Channel 28, on Saturday, November 23, at 4:00 PM. 

 

The ANNUAL MEETING is under the patronage of: Regione Piemonte, Municipality of Turin, University of Turin, the National Federation of the Orders of Physicians and Dentists, and the National Federation of Midwifery Orders.

In collaboration with: Intesa Sanpaolo, Gilead.

Technical sponsors: Lavazza, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Coldiretti Piemonte. Cuamm is a member of Link 2007.

Media partners: Rai Radio 1, Rai Radio 2, Gruppo 24 Ore, Tv2000, Radio InBlu, Avvenire, La Stampa, Radio Vaticana, Vatican News, L’Osservatore Romano, Africa Rivista.

PRIMA LE MAMME E I BAMBINI is a program in collaboration with Fondazione Cariparo, Fondazione Cariverona, Fondazione Cariplo, Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca.

Thanks to: Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna, Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Fondazione CR Firenze, Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì, Fondazione Friuli, Fondazione di Sardegna, Fondazione con il Sud, Fondazione CRT.

Photo credits: Margherita Borsano