Opera San Francesco – Medici con l’Africa Cuamm apre bando di gara “Contratto quadro di servizi per agenzia viaggi” REF. 01/2025/CUAMM/HQ
0. Notifica apertura bando di gara
Allegato I – Dichiarazione d’onore
Allegato II_ Modulo Identificazione Finanziaria
Allegato III – Modulo Entità giuridica (Ente)
Effectively and promptly managing emergencies is crucial, especially when it comes to obstetric and neonatal emergencies. For this reason, Doctors with Africa CUAMM in collaboration with Mr. Paolo Rosi, SUEM Coordinator at Regione Veneto, has developed two emergency plans and an operational plan as part of the UR-Beira project. A workshop held on on Wednesday, January 28 gave the occasion to present and discuss the plans with local authorities from both Beira district and Sofala province. The meeting was also attended by project partners, namely the District Health, Women, and Social Action Service (SDSMAS), the Beira Central Hospital (HCB), and the Mozambique Medical Emergency Service (SEMMO).
The Internal Emergency Plan for the management of a Mass Casualty Incident, the Hospital Emergency Plan, and the Medical Emergency Operational Plan for the Beira district were drafted by a group of experts from Veneto Region. These plans were then reviewed by the staff of Beira Central Hospital, who adapted them to the real needs, ensuring the sustainability of the service. Already shared with relevant authorities, health centers, and healthcare and paramedical personnel involved, these plans will help improve emergency service planning, management, and coordination in the Beira district. They will also enhance the quality of clinical and organizational emergency services and facilitate access to emergency care through the adoption of a validated emergency management model at the district, provincial, and national levels.
“In terms of both sustainability and collaboration, the emergency management plans that we present today with a focus on sustainability and strong collaboration,” said Donata Dalla Riva, Area Manager in the province of Sofala. “The validation and adoption of these tools by health authorities demonstrate the importance of local ownership, which is essential to ensuring the future of the service.”
The meeting also served as an opportunity to present some key results. Launched in February 2022 with the deployment of two vehicles, the service now operates with four ambulances, a emergency operations center, and three management plans. In terms of human resources, the medical emergency service counts on 8 operators managing call flows at the control center set up within the 24 de Julho Hospital, as well as 18 nurses and 18 drivers.
“It was in 2019 when Cyclone Idai hit Beira that it became clear that the city of Beira needed an emergency management system,” said Dr. Neusa Rosalina Joel, Director of the Sofala Provincial Health Directorate (DPS). “Today, we are pleased to witness how this project has increasingly served and benefited our community, to the point where we now have four ambulances, which significantly reduce transfer times and, consequently, the mortality rate, particularly for obstetric and neonatal emergencies.”
In nearly three years of activity, the ambulances have completed over 26,000 transfers, averaging 752 per month. Obstetric emergencies top the list, accounting for 38% of cases referred to HCB, followed by medical emergencies (28%) and pediatric and neonatal emergencies (24%).
“Today, we conclude three years of commitment to strengthening medical emergency services in the city of Beira,” said Marcello Mazzotta, CUAMM Project Manager. “This meeting has demonstrated not only the effectiveness of the service but also the strong engagement of local partners, who are determined to create the right conditions to gradually take over the medical emergency management system, which is now a model for the Country.”
UR-BEIRA: Strengthening Medical Emergency Services in the City of Beira is a project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented by Medici con l’Africa Cuamm in partnership with the Veneto Region, the Beira District Health Service, the Medical Emergency Service of the Ministry of Health of Mozambique, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Beira Central Hospital, and P.O. Croce Verde of Padua.
During disasters, health care workers must be ready to adapt quickly and safely, wherever they are needed. Training programs play a crucial role in building this readiness: equipping professionals with practical skills, strengthening their confidence, and improving their ability to respond effectively in both high and low resource settings. Investing in preparedness means empowering health care providers to act decisively when it matters most.
The “Just in Time” CUAMM training consists of a 6 module training package delivered through a distance learning interface (total training duration: approximately 7 hours).
Bridging Experience: From COVID-19 to Global Emergency Response
Just in Time is a free online training programme developed by Doctors with Africa CUAMM in collaboration with CRIMEDIM, the Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine at the University of Eastern Piedmont. The course was initially created during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the Italian healthcare system in managing the crisis and strengthening preparedness capacities. Building on lessons learned from that experience, the training was redesigned and adapted to respond to diverse emergency contexts, particularly across the African continent.
The Impact: From Knowledge to Professional Competency
Preparedness is not merely a state of readiness; it is a measurable professional competency. Systematic training programs are essential for transforming theoretical emergency protocols into effective field operations. By engaging with this course, healthcare providers (HCPs) achieve three critical professional outcomes:
Course Overview
The “Just in Time” training is a specialized learning programme developed by Doctors with Africa CUAMM to strengthen disaster preparedness. Designed specifically for healthcare professionals in low-resource settings, the course features:
Learning Objectives
By engaging with this practical and accessible training, participants will gain the skills to:
It was 2000 when the inauguration of St. Luke Hospital in Wolisso opened the door to a long-time collaboration between CUAMM and the Health authorities of the South West Shoa Zone (SWSZ).
The construction of the new facility resulted from the agreement signed by Oromia disaster prevention and preparedness Bureau, Oromia Health Bureau and Ethiopian Catholic Church. The objective was twofold: first, to establish health services in Wolisso area and secondly, to open a nursing school in Oromia Regional State.
As a matter of fact, there was no hospital service between Addis Ababa and Jimma – a stretch of around 350km, neither a training school for nurses prior to the realisation of St Luke Catholic Hospital and College of Nursing.
The construction of St Luke Catholic Hospital and College of Nursing and Midwifery stemmed from Doctors with Africa CUAMM’s philosophy of contributing to the improvement of the life of people living in Southwest Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State. Since the early years, the hospital has been providing maternal and child health (MCH) services while gradually promoting community medicine across Wolisso district.
CUAMM’s commitment to improving health services in the SWSZ has scaled up over time.
To remain loyal to the mission of contributing to the improvement of the life of people living in SWSZ, CUAMM committed to taking its work beyond the hospital and in 2008, it established the St. Luke Catholic Hospital Public Health Department aiming to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) and support the integration of PHC services with curative ones. In addition, the Department also worked for the expansion of community health activities and the improvement of the referral system for patients. From 2008 to 2015 CUAMM’s support to primary health care units expanded from the districts of Wolisso and Goro to 20 health centres situated in 4 districts, namely Wolisso Rural, Wolisso Town, Goro and Wonchi Districts.
In the following years, more grant/projects have been mobilise to boost community health acitivities with a particular dedication to maternal and neonatal health and infectious diseases. At the same time, the Organization managed to keep expanding its support to other districts and Hospitals of Southwest Shewa Zone like Bacho, Amaya, Sadan Soddo and Tole districts including Tullu Bollo and Amaya hospitals.
The collaboration between CUAMM and the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat continues to date to strengthen the management of diocesan healthcare facilities across the country. A significant portion of the intervention focuses on the South West Shoa Zone, specifically at the hospital and the Nursing and Midwifery School in Wolisso, as well as in the surrounding districts of Goro, Wolisso, and Wonchi.
To date, maternal and neonatal care and infectious diseases are the core of CUAMM intervention in the area. Outreach activities are being conducted regularly to promote prevention, ensure access to health service for all, facilitate referral to the main hospital. By working in close collaboration with health centres located in the South West Shoa Zone, CUAMM is not only providing screening services for both infectious diseases and malnutrition but concerning the latter it is also offering community-led activities as food demonstrations. Those are effective strategy to improve participants’ cooking skills, social interactions and nutritional intake. By promoting the practice of “eating locally” community kitchens foster education on the effective use of locally-grown food.
On January 2nd, Guteta Degefa Buta – South West Shoa Zone Health Office Head has awarded Doctors with Africa CUAMM work in Wolisso
“In recognition of the outstanding contribution and support made toward the health system strengthening, decrease preventable maternal and child health morbidity and mortality, communicable and non-communicable disease prevention and control in south west shoa zone”.
Such recognition bears witness to CUAMM’s uninterrupted work over the past 25 years alongside Ethiopian health authorities—never “in their place”—with the aim of strengthening the system to ensure sustainability and lasting results for the benefit of the resident community.
«I am really excited by this recognition that prove that our work is trusthworthy. I would like to thank both CUAMM HQ team, the Country Office team and the team here in Wolisso who have actively participated in the entire process from the resource mobilization to successful accomplishment of our public health projects» said Worku Nigussa –CUAMM Area Manager in Wolisso, Ethiopia.
Despite the results achieved, ensuring the continuity of CUAMM’s program in a setting that prioritizes support to emergencies over development, remains a major challenge.
“All of a sudden my desires did not matter at all, it was no longer on me to decide either I could keep studying or not. Someone else wanted to chose”.
Theresa Nyariak Maror, 23-years old is a midwifery students at Rumbek Health Institute in South Sudan. In a year time, she will be a professional midwife in a country where 1,223 women die per 100,000 live births due to pregnancy-related causes.
Accessing and pursuing education in South Sudan is indeed a privilege and a matter of luck, especially for young girls. Theresa herself had to face a series of challenges to be able to attend the midwifery school. As a little girl in primary school, she enjoyed studying: her grades were good and her uncle was happy to support the studies. Unfortunately, when he had an accident and passed away, Theresa’s life changed forever. She had to quit school, leave her hometown and move far away to join other family members who might have taken care of her.
“No one had ever dare to ask me to go to the cattle camp when my uncle was alive, but a year after his passing, that was my only opportunity – said Theresa. – I could not understand the reason. I was not willing to accept that decision, I could not tolerate them to take decision on my behalf”.
Abandon school for cattle herding is the fate of many South Sudanese girls. This usually happens when the father passes away and the uncle takes charge of the family. In that case, girls’ education has a cost and it is no longer a priority and there is little these girls can do to assert their right to education. Due to poverty, child marriage and cultural and religious views, girls’ are way too often excluded from education.
“Girls is South Sudan know that their right to education is a matter of luck since it is totally subjected to men’s will and finding a man who values education is like hitting the jackpot” said Magdalen Awor – CUAMM Midwife and tutor at Rumbek Health Institute.
Despite the difficulties, Theresa was lucky enough to resume her studies after getting married to a man who valued education and today is committed to completing the midwifery studies and get the diploma at Rumbek Health Institute. The institution is being supported by Doctors with Africa CUAMM since 2020 and every year some 20 students graduate thanks also to the scholarships offered by CUAMM. In this young and fragile country, every story of education offers a glimmer of hope as it helps the nation move forward, towards a brighter and more stable future.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM, under the project “Emergency response to the South Sudanese crisis through an integrated and inclusive approach in health, nutrition, and protection, to strengthen the resilience of South Sudanese refugees and host communities in the Gambella region of Ethiopia – AID 12882” is launching the present simplified procedure to select a supplier for medical Drugs, Laboratory reagents, Equipment, and consumables.
Annex II_&_III_Technical_Specifications_and_Technical_Offer
Annex V Administrative Compliance Grid
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022, has been characterized by a flagrant disregard for civilian life and frequent war crimes. Ukraine, where people over 60 years old make up nearly one-fourth of the population, is one of the “oldest” countries in the world.
Often reluctant or unable to flee their homes, older people face a greater likelihood of being killed or injured. Even when they succeed in escaping such dangers, older people face distinct challenges in displacement. In particular, they struggle in accessing adequate housing and end up in isolated settings where the exclusion from their community jeopardize their psychological well-being.
Natalia L.*, 68, had lived in Kherson region, Southern Ukraine for years. In March 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine begun, her life changed profoundly. Her town was occupied, and Natalia had no choice but flee with her little belongings. That is when she became one of 3.7 million internally displaced people as of August 2024.
Once displaced by the conflict, older people like Natalia are often locked out of the rental market by pensions that are well below real subsistence levels.
With her little savings, she was unable to find a house and could only stay in overcrowded accommodation centres as she journeyed across regions from Mykolaiv to Dnipro.
In particular, as an elderly internally displaced person, this living condition had severe consequences on her health and emotional well-being. Her fragile sense of security worsened when her son was called to join the army, leaving her alone with fear and anxiety.
Eventually, Natalia arrived in Strij (Lviv Region), and started living in one of the Accommodation Centres. When she joined the Centre, the staff soon noticed that she was suffering from slowness of speech and movements, uncontrollable tearfulness. In addition, she was not speaking to anyone in the Centre and started spending days in isolation.
«I am useless; no one cares about me»
These are the words she pronounced the most during the meetings with the staff of the Centre. In order to assess Natalia’s health status, she was referred to the Health Mobile Unit service provided by CUAMM, in partnership with Caritas SDD’s Mobile Unit. This activity is a part of the RISE project: Integrated Response to Support the Emergency in Ukraine. Our project is part of a 46.5 million Euro initiative funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, reaching 900,000+ people affected by the Ukraine crisis.
The Mobile Unit team, composed of a nurse, a doctor, and a psychologist, provides vulnerable people, including IDPs living in Accommodation Centres in remote areas in the Lviv region with health and psychological support.
High pressure and headache were then treated with free medications that Natalia received from the Health Mobile Unit, along with a psychological therapy. After assessing her level of anxiety and depression, the psychologist supported her with some coping strategies. Specific tests, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and the Brief-COPE questionnaire, revealed a mild degree of depression and the use of avoidant coping mechanisms. Over time, the tailored support provided to Natalia showed good results. She started communicating with her neighbours in the Centre and participating in volunteer activities.
«I feel more active now, and I want to help other people who are experiencing the same problems» stated Natalia before expressing gratitude to the psychologist: «I cannot thank you enough for your continuous support and how you care about me. Now I feel better, and my life makes sense again».
Thanks to the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, CUAMM can implement a multi-disciplinary approach, combining health and psychological support for vulnerable people, ensuring that people’s immediate and lifesaving needs are met, alleviating the sufferings caused by the war.
CUAMM response
Doctors with Africa CUAMM has been working in Ukraine since March 2022, providing multisectoral responses to the urgent needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by the Ukrainian conflict. Since the onset of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, CUAMM has adopted a flexible, multisectoral approach to address the multidimensional needs of war victims. In close collaboration with local authorities and civil society organizations, CUAMM has developed an intervention strategy aimed at supporting and integrating the socio-healthcare system in conflict-affected countries, ensuring access to essential and life-saving services for the most vulnerable groups.
Active from the outset of the humanitarian crisis in the Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions in western Ukraine, CUAMM has reached over 40,594 people and supported more than 29 healthcare facilities with medicines, consumables, biomedical equipment, and logistical support materials ensuring the continuity of life-saving services and contributing to reducing morbidity and mortality among war victims in the areas targeted.
It is Theresa’s son, nurse at Chiulo Hospital, one of the first 2025 newborns. In just a few hours, Theresa found herself on the other side of care.
As for the first delivery, she gave birth to her second child in the hospital where qualified personnel could handle any unforeseen complications—a task she usually performs in that same facility, alongside the hospital’s medical team.
In fact, a few hours before her son’s birth, Theresa was still on duty at Chiulo Hospital. As her first contractions began, she and Francesca Rossi, a gynecology resident, were assisting two women who had arrived at the hospital with childbirth complications: one with a retained placenta requiring emergency surgery, and another with a twin pregnancy complicated by eclampsia and cerebral malaria.
«In Angola, women can benefit from maternity leave for only 90 days- Francesca Rossi explains -. Theresa decided to work until full term so she could then spend the first months with her baby. On Friday evening, as her first contractions started, she was still on shift. She spent the night managing emergencies and supporting the team through very challenging moments».
Theresa stopped working just a few hours before labor began. Her baby boy was born on Sunday in good health, weighing 2.78 kg. Both mother and baby are doing well and returned home on Monday. Theresa will care for her newborn over the next three months before returning to Chiulo Hospital to assist other women through the delicate moment of childbirth.
Every year, approximately 280,000 women die during childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications, the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. Hemorrhages, complications, the distance from hospitals, and insufficient or inadequately trained personnel are the primary causes of maternal mortality. In Angola, the maternal mortality rate stands at 222 per 100,000 live births.
The International NGO, 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 rehabilitation of Suhul Shire Primary Hospital in 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
ANNEX IX – Special Conditions for Work Contract
ANNEX XI Technical Specifications
In many areas, including sub-Saharan Africa, access to healthcare is not a right for many but a privilege of a chosen few. Every day we work with commitment and dedication in 9 countries to promote the universal right to health for all, especially the most vulnerable. From the tireless work of our humanitarian workers on the field to the daily dedication of those in CUAMM’s offices, every achievement is the result of a shared commitment you are also part of. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported CUAMM this year.
Here is a selection of 10 moments from 2024 we have chosen to recall a year of unwavering commitment.
In the northern region of Tigray, devastated by a prolonged internal conflict, we have initiated the reconstruction of Shire Hospital which serves approximately 2 million people, along with five surrounding health centers. Shire Indasilasse is one of the areas most severely affected by the conflict. Widespread looting and destruction have had a profound impact on the delivery of basic services to the population in a region that hosts the highest number of internally displaced persons.
The commitment and collaboration with the Catholic University of Mozambique, based in the city of Beira, goes on. This year, several young people made their dream come true and can finally hold a degree in general medicine. For young individuals like Atianete, Hercília, Muaziza, and Victorino, this milestone was achieved thanks to their commitment and dedication and also, with the support of scholarships provided by CUAMM.
The urban health center of Anonkoua Kouté is located in Abobo, the most populous district in the country. At this center, which handles 3,700 deliveries per year, we inaugurated a new maternity ward. This initiative aims to fulfill one of the objectives of the national health strategic plan: ensuring free and semi-free access to healthcare across the country.
A comprehensive program where health, environment, and community empowerment come together as one. The Clean Cooking initiative, launched in the province of Uige, aims to introduce improved cooking methods to mitigate the harmful effects of traditional practices, such as respiratory diseases, deforestation, and social exclusion, to name a few. This intervention will involve 16 municipalities and approximately 200,000 families.
New, larger, and more functional premises have been inaugurated at the Princess Christian Maternal Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown. In October, together with the Minister of Health, we opened the doors to a new outpatient department and a renovated pharmacy for this hospital, which serves over 1.3 million people.
An area with 200,000 people and a 120-bed hospital eight hours of driving away from the capital, Bangui. Here, with the construction of the new maternity ward at the Bossangoa hospital, CUAMM’s commitment in the country resumes, amid a context of significant internal instability marked by conflict and armed violence.
The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases has awarded Doctors with Africa CUAMM the Task Force Awards 2024 for its commitment to improving health outcomes in rural areas of Tanzania.
Adior, in Lakes State, about an hour’s drive from Yirol. In the health center of this small town, where only ruined buildings stood three years ago, there is now a maternity ward. We inaugurated it in July, celebrating the event with the Minister of Health and the entire community.
The new neonatal intensive care unit was inaugurated in Matany, Karamoja. This region, the poorest in the country, records an average of 550 perinatal deaths annually, including 160 neonatal deaths, many of which are preventable. The construction of this new unit comes after the interventions already carried out in support of three other hospitals in the region.
CUAMM has been awarded the “Antonio Feltrinelli 2024” Prize by the Accademia dei Lincei for an exceptional initiative of high moral and humanitarian value. Also known as the “Italian Nobel,” the prize was presented in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and will support the significant program “Mothers and Children First.”
