Solidarity calendar Published on 2024 / 03 / 11

World Congenital Malformations Day 2024

For several years now, La Chaîne de l'Espoir has been involved in World Congenital Malformations Day, celebrated on March 3.

How many birth defects are there worldwide?

Congenital anomalies and malformations are structural or functional defects of a body part present from birth. Congenital malformations are a major global health issue, affecting around 3% to 5% of newborns worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The 5 most common congenital anomalies are :

cleft palate,
neural tube defects,
hydrocephalus,
heart disease,
polydactyly and syndactyly.

How does La Chaîne de l’Espoir work in this area?

Fully aware of the major consequences of congenital malformations on the lives of children and their families, La Chaîne de l’Espoir takes action to help them: we implement early detection actions to prevent disabilities, we operate on children on site during humanitarian missions, or we organize the transfer to France of children requiring medical care when such treatment is not possible in their home countries. We invest in the training of local medical teams, the supply of equipment for healthcare facilities, and the construction of infrastructures adapted to local needs.

Here are a few examples:

Early detection via echoes®.

The echoes® teleconsultation platform, developed by La Chaîne de l’Espoir since 2015, enables early detection of congenital disorders. This innovation promotes medical care adapted to identified pathologies as well as local needs, with doctors trained by our association.

Orthopaedic surgery

In Lebanon, La Chaîne de l’Espoir runs an orthopedic surgery program to operate on children suffering from congenital malformations of the hand: polydactyly, the presence of more than five fingers or toes on each limb, and syndactyly, the joining together of two or more fingers.

Smiles of Hope

In Mali and Burkina Faso, where children suffering from cleft lip can be victims of stigmatization and social isolation, La Chaîne de l’Espoir is actively contributing to the development of reconstructive surgery… Through prevention and treatment programs initiated in partnership with local health establishments, such as the Hôpital Mère-Enfant Le Luxembourg (HMEL) in Bamako, our organization works to transfer skills to local medical teams.

What to do?

On World Birth Defects Day, join La Chaîne de l’Espoir in its fight to give children a better life. Make a donation at www.chainedelespoir.org or share our actions on social networks(Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn in particular). Together, let’s give children in need another future.