Expanding Pediatric Surgery in Burkina Faso

Fondation Dora is supporting a programme to expand paediatric surgery in Burkina Faso. The programme is being implemented by the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).

Patients in Africa are twice as likely to die after undergoing surgery compared to the rest of the world (The Lancet, 2018). Paediatric surgery remains very underdeveloped in numerous sub-Saharan African countries and children suffer because of the shortage of paediatric surgeons and adequate facilities. 

The “Geneva Project in Global Children’s Surgery” intends to promote access to surgical care and paediatric anaesthetics in a sustainable way. The goal is to reduce neonatal and infant morbidity and mortality rates by strengthening care for children and increasing the number of available services. In this way, the programme will grant thousands of children access to quality surgical and anaesthetic care. 

The teams at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) cooperate with Burkina Faso’s Minister of Health and local care providers in order to 1) improve the training level of doctors and caregivers, 2) decentralise paediatric surgery, and 3) improve infrastructures. Six main objectives have been set:  

• Broaden the paediatric surgical and anaesthetic services offered by the Sourou Sanou University Hospital Centre in Bobo-Dioulasso; this centre covers nearly 6 million inhabitants. 
• Strengthen the skills of all health professionals involved in paediatric surgery and anaesthetic care in the targeted locations. 
• Strengthen access to paediatric surgical and anaesthetic care in the Regional Hospital Centres. 
• Improve screening and early detection and management of children suffering from birth defects. 
• Strengthen collaboration and awareness of traditional healers and families to reduce the number of complications linked to traditional treatments. 
• Strengthen epidemiological research in terms of paediatric surgery. 

Over the project’s duration (5 years), 16,000 children will be provided care, 900 staff members will be trained (medical, paramedical, traditional) and 500 families consulted and advised. The country will be equipped with a second hospital able to respond to paediatric surgery needs; this new facility will be used as a training centre by paediatric surgeons and anaesthetists from the country. 

The programme is directed by Prof. Barbara Wildhaber, Department Head for Paediatric Surgery at the Geneva University Hospitals.

Fondation Dora has supported this programme since 2020.