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ACTIVE SINCE: 2016

Training of local medical teams at the Dakar Cuomo Cardiopaediatric Centre in Senegal

Funding the training of local medical and administrative teams of the Dakar Cuomo Cardiopaediatric Centre, Senegal. The Cuomo Centre not only extends cardiological treatment and heart surgery to children in Senegal, but also throughout West Africa which, up until now, has been totally devoid of this type of facility.
SGDS CONTRIBUTING TO:
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MEMBER COMPANIES:
Pharma Company Foundation 1
Private Foundation or Development Organization 1
Hospitals Health Facilities 2
Local NGOs 1
Objectives
  • To help with the development of the Dakar Cuomo Cardiopaediatic Centre in Senegal
  • To fund a six-month training in Vietnam for Senegalese teams to train in specific technique of cardiac surgery

In Africa, 30,000 children have serious heart disease and nearly 1000 children are born each year with congenital heart disease requiring specialized treatment. To address the lack of suitable healthcare for children with heart problems in the region, Servier partnered with various stakeholders to fund the training of local medical and administrative teams of the Dakar Cuomo Cardiopaediatric Centre, which opened in January 2017 in Senegal. The Cuomo Centre not only extends cardiological treatment and heart surgery to children in Senegal, but also throughout West Africa which, up until now, has been totally devoid of this type of facility.

The Senegalese healthcare professionals received six month of comprehensive training in open heart surgery in children, at the Heart Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, a center of excellence in Vietnam and the world. This South-South cooperation allowed the Senegalese team to receive training in a facility which shares similar infrastructure as the Cuomo Centre.

This six-month training resulted in Senegalese teams becoming completely autonomous during their paediatric surgeries. Additionally, administrative teams were trained to manage the Centre with the aim of achieving financial sustainability. Since 2017, nearly 1000 surgeries have been conducted in the Dakar Cuomo Cardiopaediatric Centre on children suffering from cardiac diseases.

The partnership has been renewed until end 2025, to provide additional training to the Senegalese teams regarding surgery on newborns as well as cover the cost of surgeries for less fortunate children. On February 13th 2023, the Cuomo Centre will celebrate its thousandth operation as a result of this partnership.

Results and milestones

As a result of this partnership, on February 13th 2023, the Cuomo Center will celebrate its thousandth successful surgery since it was opened in 2017.

Geographic Reach
Disease Area
  • Women’s and Child Health
See Disease Areas
Target Population
  • Youth
  • Children
Partner organizations
Pharma Company Foundation

Mécénat Servier

Private Foundation or Development Organization
Cuomo
Foundation

Participated in funding the construction of the Cuomo Centre.

Hospitals Health Facilities
Dakar's Fann
Hospital

Dakar's Fann Hospital welcomed the Cuomo Centre within its premises and puts its medical staff at the disposal of the Centre.

Ho Chi Minh's Heart
Institute

Ho Chi Minh's Heart Insitute received the Senegalese teams and offered them six months of comprehensive training in open heart surgery in children.

Local NGOs
La Chaîne de
l'Espoir

La Chaîne de l'Espoir, a French NGO which provides healthcare and education to the less fortunate, participated in funding the Cardiopaediatric Cuomo Centre and provided healthcare professionals to train the Senegalese teams during their training in Vietnam.