Madagascar - International - Médecins du Monde

ACTIVITIES

This programme provides medical aid to Madagascan children affected by congenital or non-congenital cardiac abnormalities. Surgery is often the child’s only hope for survival. The project, which was launched in 1996, accounts for more than 80% of the operations carried out in Madagascar in this specialist field. The project is integrated into cardiac surgery care, from diagnosis to follow-up. The paediatric cardiac team, made up of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and anaesthetists from Réunion, visits twice a year to perform closed heart surgery in partnership with the Madagascan team. Children who need open heart surgery are treated in Réunion or on mainland France, with several partners: La Ribambelle, La Chaîne de l’espoir and Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque.

RESULTS

510 consultations were provided for 187 children. 22 closed heart surgery operations were performed in Antananarivo and 29 medical evacuations for open heart surgery took place.

OUTLOOK

In the medium term, MdM will develop strategies which enable more children to receive surgery in Madagascar, by building the capacity of Madagascan partners through training and mentoring. The project will also improve access to cardiac surgery for the most vulnerable groups

ACTIVITIES

MdM aims to improve the situation of prisoners in 20 prisons, by working with the health services (refurbishing the medical wards, providing equipment, training nurses, treating severe malnutrition) and by carrying out advocacy and training activities in relation to key health determinants (prison overcrowding, hygiene, human rights).
MdM is also supporting local organisations in the implementation of other activities: preserving social links, preparing for re-integration, individual legal support.
Over the last five years, MdM has developed numerous tools, such as training modules, which are now seen as exemplary methods. In partnership with other organisations working in prisons, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, MdM is supporting the Ministry of Justice in humanising detention conditions in Madagascar.

RESULTS

A mapping exercise on flood areas was carried out. A rescue plan and an emergency team have been established. 168 rescue workers and 91 nutrition agents were trained and equipped.

OUTLOOK

2011 will see the programme expanded into a new geographical area—six new prisons in the central west area of the country. A process of capitalisation will also be started, along with evaluations of the prisons which MdM is withdrawing from.

ACTIVITIES

Having implemented more than 12 emergency programmes to help victims of cyclones and flooding, in 2008 MdM set up a disaster risk reduction (DRR) programme to prepare the communities to deal with these consequences of tropical depressions.

The pilot project in Maroantsetra and Sava region has four components: supporting the health system (mentoring, epidemiological surveillance, provision of radios), improving community-based identification and treatment for severe acute malnutrition in health services, improving care for victims of natural disasters (training rescue workers and an emergency medical team, developing a contingency plan, provision of equipment) and establishing a community-based approach to disaster risk reduction (participatory analysis of areas of weakness, awareness-raising through a traditional singing contest, community-based micro-projects).

RESULTS

A mapping exercise on flood areas was carried out. A rescue plan and an emergency team have been established. 168 rescue workers and 91 nutrition agents were trained and equipped

OUTLOOK

Following project evaluations, MdM is developing community-based health and mentoring of health workers to improve the local foundations of the project. A capitalisation process has been carried out (report available on MdM’s website) and illustrates the relationship between health and DRR, as well as providing an interesting perspective on other potential projects on this issue.