Mitrelli & Save a Child’s Heart supports Côte d’Ivoire MoH efforts to combat congenital heart disease

COTE D’IVOIRE— The Mitrelli Group hand in hand with Save a Child’s Heart, have revealed a capacity-building initiative to support the Côte d’Ivoire Health Ministry build local capabilities in the field of life-saving pediatric cardiac surgery.

Through the initiative Cote d’Ivoire seeks to be a model for Africa in the management of Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) via building self-sufficiency in Paediatric Cardiology Surgery.

The initiative will also be aided by the Menomadin Foundation, the Abidjan Institute of Cardiology as well as Mitrelli’ s health subsidiary- Promed International (Switzerland).

The Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital (Israel), and Save a Child’s Heart will provide the principal expertise.

The Association Française du Coeur pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest (AFCAO) and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Nantes from France will also be involved, turning this initiative into a truly international project.

The Ministry noted that health independence was a national strategic priority, and this project is a major step on the road to that vital goal.

As part of this new partnership, projected to last for 5 years, the Institut de Cardiologie d’Abidjan’s medical staff will undergo advanced training in various heart-related procedures from French and Israeli cardiology teams, enhancing their existing professional capabilities.

Delegations of surgeons will travel throughout the year to Côte d’Ivoire, to perform operations on young patients, and provide training for local medical teams.

In addition, medical teams from Côte d’Ivoire will benefit from state-of-the-art training in Israel in different fields of pediatric cardiac care.

The project will serve Côte d’Ivoire as a model and a reference point for pediatric cardiac surgery in Africa – not only reducing mortality rates but also improving the quality of life for children.

Meanwhile, the most serious and urgent cases will be transferred for immediate care in Israel.

The announcement of the initiative was made at a special meeting at the Côte d’Ivoire Ministry of Health.

These also included the participation of nine children with heart deficiencies, ranging between the ages of 1 to 13 years old, who are traveling to Israel in the coming days to undergo life-saving heart procedures at the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital through Save a Child’s Heart.

Minister of Health of Cote d’Ivoire Mr. Pierre Dimba said, “Patients with heart defects require not only surgery but also post-treatment. Sending children abroad for surgery is a blessing but not a long-term solution.”

Dimba added that achieving health-independence in the field of pediatric cardiological care especially, was a national strategic priority, and the project was the first step on the road to that vital goal.

Dimba added, “We are extremely pleased with the cooperation with our partners and the treatments of our children at the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital through Save a Child’s Heart and we are looking forward to establishing this extremely important and strategic health model for our country and happy to see it serve as a model cross-Africa.”

Haim Taib, Founder and President of Mitrelli Group and Menomadin Foundation and President of Save a Child’s Heart Africa said, “This is an incredible opportunity to make a difference in the wellbeing of children and their future through upgrading local capacities and creating sustainable solutions.”

Taib added that if 1% of children in the country need heart surgery, philanthropic activity, however, blessed, was just a drop in the ocean and to create a significant, sustainable, and long-term impact, the government must be involved.

“This is the Mitrelli model, to build long-term sustainable development solutions in cooperation with our local partners in health, agriculture, education, and more, ​to create real impact,” Taib remarked.

Professor Mohamed Ly, cardiac surgeon, and President of the AFCOA, added that this was an extraordinary partnership that signified a monumental step towards providing essential surgical care and empowering local teams to ensure a brighter future for children who currently lack access to these critical services.

Simon Fisher, Executive Director of Save a Child’s Heart, “We are very grateful to the Mitrelli Group and the Menomadin Foundation for their partnership and for initiating the expansion to Cote d’Ivoire of Save a Child’s Heart activities.”

The arrival of the group of nine children in Israel for lifesaving treatment at the Sylvan Adams Children’s Hospital is a major step in the implementation of this strategic initiative in partnership with the Côte d’Ivoire Health Ministry and the Institut de Cardiologie d’Abidjan.

This group of children, and future groups to be treated in Israel, will complement the capacity-

Fighting Congenital Heart Defects in Sub-Saharan Africa

The initiative is rooted in the “UN’s Sustainable Development Goal to promote Good Health and Well Being”.

Approximately 1 in every 100 babies born in the world suffers from congenital heart disease (CHD).

CHD are structural heart anomalies that occur during pregnancy when the heart or major blood vessels fail to develop properly.

Moreover, CHD is the most common type of birth defect, but with advanced medical care and treatment, the chances of infants and children fully recovering from CHD and living normal adult lives are better than ever.

However, in countries where the necessary treatments are unavailable, CHD is the leading cause of mortality in the first year of life.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2,700 out of 300,000 births registered each year in Côte d’Ivoire, suffer from congenital heart disease. However, the screening rate for these congenital heart diseases is very low (11%).

The goal of the new initiative is to build a national effort to diagnose and treat many more children, while jointly establishing Côte d’Ivoire’s pediatric cardiac surgery health independence with advanced medical knowledge and resources.

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