Since 2018, the URGO Foundation has been working closely with the Ivory Coast’s Red Cross on a priority health project at national level: improving the health of mothers and children aged 0 to 5, around nutrition issues.
2022: a year full of projects and successes
For this fourth year of partnership, three major objectives were defined:
– To raise communitie’s awareness through interactive and playful workshops related to maternal and child health,
– To facilitate access to maternal and child care services,
– Strengthen community and health structures to ensure the sustainability of the gains of the previous three years, while continuing to train healthcare professionals.
To achieve this, many actions have been put in place, such as:
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Raise awareness among communities :
Through the organization of “EFP workshops” (Essential Family Practices): hand washing, exclusive breastfeeding, attendance at health centers, nutritional recommendations …
Through the prganization of “group talks” or “husbands’ schools”, in order to create an exchange between communities and healthcare professionals trained on these health issues.
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Improve care
Many free medical consultations have been carried out to allow communities access to care for children and pregnant women.
The rehabilitation of health centers in the Léléblé area (south-east of Ivory Coast), associated with training for healers and midwives on recognizing the signs of malnutrition, allows better patient care
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Sustain the actions
Equipping schools with health promotion measures (hygiene, moderate malnutrition, etc.) and organizing sanitation operations in the villages of the project area help secure the achievements. This year was also marked by the strengthening of training for “mothers’ clubs” so that the latter continue to pass on their learning to future mothers!
Highly appreciated KOL training!
At the beginning of the year, the training of Healthcare professionals by qualified doctors resumed. These trainings, set up since the beginning of the partnership, are growing and are becoming more and more popular!
The objectives? Be able to make nutritional assessment, diagnose and manage MAM (Moderate Acute Malnutrition) in children.
More than 30 healthcare professionals from the CHU participated in this training led by Dr. Dossahoua, Pediatric Nutritionist at the Department of Pediatrics at the University Hospital of Treichville in Abidjan, on the management of MAM. Five other healthcare professionals came directly from Taabo district just to participate in this training.
The pedagogical approach and clinical cases presented by Dr. Dossahoua captivated the audience. Given the success of this training, a second is planned by the end of the year!
