Care and surgery
Training and skills transfer
Building and equipping hospitals
Prevention and screening
Emergencies and humanitarian crises
Maternal health
Cameroon
Axes of intervention
Training and skills transfer- Care and surgery
Start of mission: 1989
At a time when Cameroon has been weakened by numerous crises, La Chaîne de l'Espoir is committed to improving access to care for children suffering from heart malformations.
Background
The humanitarian emergency in Cameroon
60 years:
is life expectancy at birth in Cameroon (compared with 82 years in France).
1.24 doctor
per 10,000 inhabitants (compared with 331 in France).
2.2 million inhabitants
need humanitarian aid in the English-speaking regions of the country.
Sources: UN, France diplomatie (2021), WHO (2021)
Cameroon is undergoing a period of great instability, exacerbated by internal conflicts linked to separatist movements and Boko Haram attacks, as well as an external conflict, a repercussion of the Central African crisis in the east of the country. Since 2017, this unrest has led to a deep humanitarian crisis, the destruction of numerous medical infrastructures and the displacement of over a million people within Cameroon’s borders.
In a country where the most vulnerable populations were already suffering from very limited access to healthcare, these events have dramatically worsened the situation. More and more families lack access to the most essential health services, putting their children at vital risk.
Our humanitarian aid action in Cameroon
Our medical aid projects in Cameroon
Our involvement in Cameroon began in 1989. Alerted by Dr. Edvine Wawo, a cardiopediatrician who later became our local correspondent, practicing in Yaoundé, the capital, after having specialized at the Necker Hospital, we were confronted with a poignant reality: in the absence of suitable infrastructures and qualified medical staff, children suffering from serious cardiac malformations could not be treated and were condemned. This heartfelt appeal marked the beginning of our action in the country. Since then, every year, thanks to our support, young Cameroonians suffering from heart disease, with no hope of recovery in their own country, benefit from life-saving surgery in French hospitals.
A heart saved, a life transformed
Suffering from a serious heart condition, Marcelin, a young Cameroonian boy, was welcomed in France for a vital operation in 2007 thanks to the mobilization of La Chaîne de l’Espoir. After a successful operation, he returned to Cameroon in great shape.
Despite the distance, Marcelin has maintained close contact with his host family in France, whom he affectionately calls “Maman Martine” and “Papa Daniel”.
Now an adult, Marcelin has shared the most wonderful news of all: the birth of his daughter. In a moving letter to his foster family, he expresses his gratitude and joy : “Thank you, Maman Martine and Papa Daniel. The joy here is overwhelming. When I hold this child, I almost have tears in my eyes. It’s a fundamental step in my life. I’ll never stop thanking you, because you’ve been great architects of this life. Without knowing me, you welcomed me into your home, you gave me food and, above all, you gave me life, a life that I was gradually losing… I have no greater word to say to you than the thank you that comes from the bottom of my heart.”
Improving the detection and management of cardiac malformations in children
Heart disease, particularly in children, is a major public health problem in Cameroon. These malformations, whether hereditary or acquired through ignorance of hygiene rules, are all too rarely detected, and their treatment is largely inadequate.
Since 2019, La Chaîne de l’Espoir has been carrying out missions in the country with a view to launching a project to provide care for children with heart disease in Cameroon. At the end of 2022, a preparatory mission was organized with the Yaoundé General Hospital to clarify the medical needs of the population. This confirmed the importance of strengthening the skills of medical staff in pediatric cardiac surgery.
We therefore set up a training program that enabled six medical staff from the Yaoundé General Hospital to benefit from a six-month internship at the Maputo Heart Institute in Mozambique, a center created at the instigation of La Chaîne de l’Espoir. These professional immersions exposed the professionals (cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care nurses, perfusionists) to the practice of pediatric cardiac surgery, and to awareness-raising and preventive actions for comprehensive care and better follow-up of children. On their return to Cameroon, these professionals were able to pass on their new skills to local teams, helping to perpetuate the hospital’s cardiac surgery activity.
While training is essential, every healthcare professional must be able to work in the best possible conditions. We therefore plan to complete the equipment of the technical platform at the Yaoundé General Hospital, and to support the purchase of medicines and consumables.
Improving diagnosis of childhood cardiac pathologies
In Cameroon, we are also helping to improve the diagnosis of cardiac pathologies in children. Ultrasound plays a crucial role in detecting heart malformations, but the lack of screening and training of local staff often leads to late diagnosis, with serious consequences for the children.
To remedy this situation, our echoes® program connects local cardiologists with pediatric cardiology experts in France every six weeks, during live remote ultrasound sessions. This collaboration strengthens the skills of local healthcare professionals, improves diagnoses and, as a result, reduces infant mortality. Between 2022 and 2023, 33 children will have benefited from a cardiac consultation.
