Strengthening the capacity of the partner hospitals

Strengthening the capacity of the two partner hospitals St Martin in Papané and St Jean de Dieu in Boko and of the 2 health zones Thaourou and Parakou-N’Dali.

Thanks to the support and funding of the Foundation, the two small bush hospitals have become private hospitals recognized by the Beninese State as “Zone Hospitals” . Patients from the health zones of Tchaourou and Parakou-N’Dali which is an area with a population of about 500,000 people, are referred to them. Because of their status as a zone hospital, they receive a limited government subsidy from the State of Benin.

Since the creation of the Hubi & Vinciane Foundation, projects have been set up to develop and improve the quality of care at the Papané hospital. Since 2000, the available budget even made it possible to add the Boko hospital to the Foundation’s health programme as well.

The Foundation is a member of the Board of Directors of these hospitals and is present at the meeting every 6 months.

The cooperation in the two health zones was extended, among others, with a support to local dispensaries and health centres in dozens of bush villages.

The “Fight against malnutrition” project was launched in 2015 after finding that up to 35% of children aged 0 to 5 years in the region suffer from chronic malnutrition. The programme includes actions related to prevention, screening and treatment. This is being done in collaboration with the two zone hospitals, the local dispensaries and teams of the Ministry of Health.

In consultation with the hospital management and the Director of the Department of Health (DDS), priorities are determined each year and investments recorded. Each year, the Foundation invests at least 50,000 euros in hospitals. A further 40 000 euros are being spent on the “Fight Against Malnutrition” programme.

In addition to financial and logistical support, the Foundation also invests in North-South exchange projects. For example, it facilitates internships in hospitals for dozens of young people from different universities and for volunteers. To ensure the smooth running of the internships and missions abroad, the Foundation has provided accommodation in each hospital where students and volunteers can stay.