Annual meeting of Monaco Collectif Humanitaire: 515 children offered care over the last 15 years

Published on 23 February 2023 at 15:52 - Modified the 18 July 2023 at 10:37

On Friday 17th February 2023, the members of Monaco Collectif Humanitaire (associations, healthcare centres and the Government of Monaco) held their annual meeting to review the past year and to plan the celebrations for the 15th anniversary of the Collectif, which has offered care to 515 children since it was first set up.

Logo 15 ans du MCH

In 2022, 51 children with heart disease were followed by Monaco Collectif Humanitaire (MCH). Among these children, 6 were treated in Monaco and in France, whilst the 45 other children were able to undergo surgery directly in their country of residence in Africa.

Since 2019, a partnership with the Chaîne de l’Espoir has enabled MCH to develop its action in 4 African countries meaning that children can receive surgery in their home country when the conditions so allow. Consequently, since the partnership was signed, 80 surgical procedures have been funded in Mali and Madagascar, and since 2022 also in Senegal and Burkina Faso. For the most serious cases which are inoperable directly on site, the scheme has been maintained whereby surgery is provided in Monaco by one of the partner healthcare centres.

The annual meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the preparations for the 15th anniversary of the Collectif which will be celebrated in Dakar, Senegal in June 2023. The celebrations will honour the doctors from hospitals in partner countries, local correspondents and MCH members, as well as the children who have undergone surgery in Monaco and Dakar over the past three years. The Government of Monaco will be represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, as well as the Consulate of Monaco in Senegal.

 For the reader’s information, MCH is a solidarity chain which groups together 16 Monegasque Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), 3 French NGOs, 3 healthcare centres in Monaco (Cardio-thoracic Centre of Monaco, Princess Grace Hospital, Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery (IM2S)) and 4 in Africa (André Festoc Paediatric Cardiology Centre in Bamako, Mali, Soavindandriana Hospital Centre (CENHOSOA) in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Cuomo Paediatric Cardiology Centre in Dakar, Senegal and the Tingandogo University Hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso).