February 19, 2022 h: 12:40 Venice airport. After many procedures related to Covid19 epidemic, together with Arianna Bortolani, CUAMM doctor, we will fly to Ivory Coast, a West African country on the Gulf of Guinea, a French colonial heritage. A new challenge will wait for us; a new project involving 25 countries in the African continent, 26 religious congregations and 75 health facilities.
In the context of international health cooperation, Faith-Based Organizations play a crucial role in providing health services to the most vulnerable in poor countries. Doctors with Africa CUAMM, that operates with this approach for more than 70 years, has decided to help religious congregations launching a training program that aims at managing the healthcare facilities in the countries involved in Africa.
During the field trip to Ivory Coast, we visited six health facilities including a hospital located in Anyama, in the district of the capital Abidjan, and five health centers in peripheral and very poor areas who are very important for the communities who live there.
What we realized during the trip, is the great devotion and commitment that the congregations have for the most vulnerable, especially mothers and children. Each of them works in different areas such as administration, human resources management, purchase and distribution of drugs, and the relationship with the government and the ministry of health.
These congregations belong to different religious orders and each of them has many years of experience in different contexts, but what they have in common is the ability to be at the service of the poorest without leaving no one behind. Just recently, Pope Francis appointed three women who will play key roles in the dicastery at the Vatican. Nowadays more and more women have high responsibilities both in the Catholic and the health sector in developing countries.
