Mission Benin
Mortality
> infant: 91‰
Life expectancy
> at birth: 54.0
HDI
> 0.431; ranked 162/177
Actual GDP/inhabitant ($)
> 517
Beneficiaries
> directly: 600
Staff
> local: 5
> expatriate: 3
(1 medical co-ordinator)
Co-ordinators
> project: P. Beze Beyrie
> HQ: A. Belaïd
Sources of funding
> Paris city council, French Foreign Ministry, Dutch Foreign Ministry
Budget
> 2005 - 06 : 366 157 euros
Benin is one of the eighteen poorest countries which benefited from the debt cancellation agreed by the G8 countries in 2005. Benin's economy continues to struggle. The cotton sector (the country's main resource) is in deficit. We are seeing the sad growth of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 68,000 people, including 5,700 children, are now living with the infection. 34,000 children are orphans.
Dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Ouidah and Come
Activities: Activities aim to respond to the AIDS epidemic in Benin's particularly affected cities. We are continuing our preventive measures in the fight against HIV/AIDS through education and raising awareness (amongst women in particular) and support for those who are ill, with our local partner Africare, who is skilled in involving the community. We are continuing our voluntary, anonymous and free screening activities and treatment of AIDS patients. To do this, MdM is training Beninois staff and renovating health centres to increase local capacity so that we can move towards Beninois staff gaining autonomy
Outlook:
In January 2006, the staff training programme ended, the renovation is nearly complete, and the first patients being treated with ARVs will be included in the active file.