A response to the poor quality of the healthcare system in the Central African Republic.
Following the appeal from the Don Bosco network in Central Africa regarding the poor quality of care provided in the country's capital, and in response to a project by the’French Development Agency (AFD) Regarding the health sector in the Central African Republic, the Don Bosco Foundation undertook a partnership with the AFD in 2021 for the construction of two dispensaries in Bangui: a first for each party.
France remains the Central African Republic's main bilateral partner for development assistance.
The AFD structured its project portfolio to adapt to the volatile humanitarian and security situation. It committed nearly €180 million between 2017 and 2022, distributed as budget support (until 2019), projects through European fund delegation, and projects funded by French grants. The AFD's action in the Central African Republic is part of the collective action of the country's international partners, particularly responding to the priorities set by France and the European Union for peace consolidation and reconstruction.
Health Centers Project in Bangui, in connection with the AFD
Jean-Christophe, as the director of the Bangui agency, could you briefly present the missions of the FRENCH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY in the Republic
Central African?
I have had the honor of being the Director of the Agency since October 5, 2022. It is a human-sized agency composed of half expatriate agents and half local agents. France remains the Central African Republic's main bilateral partner for development aid. The AFD has structured its project portfolio there to adapt to the volatile humanitarian and security situation. It has thus committed nearly €180 million between 2017 and 2022, which are divided into budgetary aid (until 2019), projects through delegated European funds, and projects through French grants. The AFD's action in the Central African Republic is part of the collective action of the country's international partners. In particular, it responds to the priorities set by France and the European Union for the consolidation of peace and the reconstruction of the country.
How do the missions carried out by the French Development Agency (AFD) in the health sector allow it to operate as close as possible to populations and assist them in the most relevant way possible?
The AFD currently supports the health sector in CAR through several projects targeting vulnerable populations (maternal and child health, sexual violence) and several projects in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding support for vulnerable populations, the AFD has made sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health a priority, as well as the fight against gender-based sexual violence.
In parallel with and following the Covid-19 pandemic, the AFD also promotes epidemiological surveillance and response mechanisms for communicable diseases, which continue to have a significant impact on a large portion of the population.
Since 2019, projects financed by the AFD in the CAR have improved access to healthcare for over 40,000 Central Africans.
A collaboration with the DON BOSCO FOUNDATION: this is new for you! How is this project shaping up?
Indeed, the project carried out in collaboration with the Don Bosco Foundation is the first on the African continent for both AFD and Don Bosco. We have gradually got to know each other and established a relationship of trust, so that we can become partners in implementing this project in the best possible way. Basically, this project seems to us to be very important and should enable us to achieve very concrete results. Access to healthcare and health care conditions in Bangui's 8th arrondissement should be significantly improved by the work carried out on the Galabadja and Damala health centers. In addition to the infrastructure work, it is also planned to support the operation of these centers in order to make essential and consumable medicines available and accessible to the populations of these districts, with an emphasis on their rational use in order to reduce the risk of new health problems arising.
The AFD was particularly interested in the diversity and complementarity of the services provided to the population by the Don Bosco centers: elementary school, middle school, high school, which have a significant educational impact; a youth center for weekends and school holidays to ensure access to recreational and useful activities; and now a health center to care for women, men, families, and also young people. The health education program desired by the Salesians of Damala and Galabadja seems particularly interesting to us. Health education, hygiene, and good practices appear to be paramount in this part of Bangui, which remains marginalized even today.
The project of relying on the network of scouts and guides for this awareness work also seems very relevant, considering the importance of scouting and guiding in the CAR and their involvement within the populations.
