The Pediatric University Complex of Bangui (CHUPB) in the Central African Republic is the country’s largest pediatric hospital. With its 257 beds, it provides health care and assistance to over 60,000 children annually. In 2023 alone, it conducted more than 68,000 outpatient consultations and over 15,000 hospital admissions. This significant commitment by the Ministry of Health and Population has been supported since 2018 by Doctors with Africa CUAMM in synergy with local authorities and the French NGO Action Against Hunger (ACF). Starting from July 1, 2024, the European Union’s renewed support allow to continue and reinforce the support given to the facility.
This 18-month project will enable the consortium to ensure health and nutritional care for young patients, while also strengthening the governance of the Complex. Technical assistance and training will be provided in administrative, managerial, and clinical areas.
This is good news for a country ranked 188th out of 191 according to the Human Development Index, which struggles to provide health care and assistance to the vulnerable groups of the population, such as children and mothers. Thanks to this project, Doctors with Africa CUAMM will be able to ensure young patients health and nutritional care while also strengthening the governance of the Complex. Additionally, technical assistance and training will be provided in administrative, managerial, and clinical areas. Besides the young patients, both Complex’s staff and interns will also benefit from this intervention, gaining greater skills to improve their professional performance.
This European support aims to strengthen the governance of the healthcare sector and improve access to quality healthcare which are considered pillars of the partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population.
The European Union started supporting the CHUPB in 2018, since then it has provided health care and assistance to over 60,000 children annually through the CUAMM-ACF consortium. For the EU, the support to the healthcare sector in the Central African Republic has been a priority ever since. The EU spares no human, technical, or financial efforts to support the Ministry of Health in its mission, which includes offering quality basic health services to the Central African population and continuously strengthening the Ministry’s functions. This approach aligns with the priorities indicated in the Recovery and Peace Consolidation Plan in the Central African Republic (RCPCA), particularly concerning the provision of basic services to the population throughout the territory, especially in education, health, and water.
DOCTORS WITH AFRICA CUAMM
Founded in 1950, Doctors with Africa CUAMM is the first NGO dedicated to health to be recognized in Italy and the largest Italian organization for the promotion and protection of the health of African populations. It carries out long-term projects with a development perspective, adopting such approach also in emergencies to ensure that quality services are accessible to all. Today, Doctors with Africa CUAMM works in 9 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) with more than 3,465 humanitarian workers on the ground, including 273 Italians. It supports 21 hospitals and 116 districts (working on public health activities, maternal and child care, response and treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria), 4 nursing schools (in South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia), and 1 university in Mozambique.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM entered the Central African Republic in 2018. Ever since, it has been supporting the Pediatric Complex of Bangui upon request of Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, the CAR Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the European Commission (primarily through the Bêkou Fund) and Italian Cooperation, in partnership with ACF. Since the beginning, CUAMM has not only guaranteed support to the main hospital but also sustained the hospitals in Bossangoa and Koui as well as the health districts of Bocaranga, Bossangoa, and Ouango-Gambo. The NGO is also responsible for training initiatives and operational research carried out across the country.
ACTION AGAINST HUNGER (ACF)
Founded in 1979, Action Against Hunger (ACF) is an international solidarity NGO committed to ending hunger worldwide. Conflicts, climate change, poverty, and inequalities in accessing water and healthcare are some of the leading causes of malnutrition. The NGO’s mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through prevention, detection, and treatment of undernutrition, particularly during and after emergency situations related to conflicts and natural disasters. Today, ACF is a major player in the global fight against hunger. Founded by a group of French doctors and intellectuals, ACF saves millions of lives each year in Asia, South America, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and even Europe.
Additionally, in 2023 ACF provided emergency support to vulnearble populations in the Central African Republic by improving access to healthcare and nutrition for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women in the prefectures of Basse-Kotto, Nana-Mambéré, Sangha-Mbaéré, Ouham, and Ouham-Pendé. Interventions were also carried out in Basse-Kotto, Ouham, and Ouham-Pendé to improve access to water and sanitation facilities and to promote good hygiene practices among the population. Health services within health centers were improved. ACF also implemented interventions to enhance food security and mental health for the populations residing in Basse-Kotto and throughout the western part of the country.
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.
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