The Chiulo Catholic Hospital in Angola
The Chiulo Catholic Hospital in Angola – Doctors with Africa CUAMM
The Missionary Catholic Hospital of Chiulo, situated in the Ombadja Municipality in Angola is the referral health facility for approximately 306.550 persons. The hospital is owned by the Dioceses of Ombadja and is administered by the congregation of Sisters “Daughters of Africa”. As of today, 87% of the Municipality population live in rural area without power, water and public transport. Maternal and child mortality are extraordinarily high. Especially within a vulnerable population of young pregnant women and children under 5 years old. They are living in remote and hard to reach areas.
The hospital has a capacity of 234 beds. It consists of paediatrics, gynaecology, vaccination, surgery, ophthalmology, internal medicine, emergency room and physiology departments. In 2018, the hospital received 33’021 outpatient visits, 7325 antenatal care visits. The hospital took care of 1200 deliveries of which 49 were done by caesarean sections, provided 15128 vaccinations and took care of 4451 patients admitted for care of which 303 were malnourished children.
A maternity waiting home of the Chiulo Hospital “Casa de Espera” hosts women coming from more than 10 km distance from the Hospital (70%). About 40% of women stay in the house from 4 to 6 weeks.
The entire services’ costs incurred by the hospital have to be covered by the hospital itself. With the patient fees and the help of the Diocese through its partners as Doctors with Africa CUAMM. It receives also some help from the Government that provides drugs and some health staff. However, in view of the growing health needs of the Municipality population, the hospital is constantly in need of funding.
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History
The Republic of Angola (29.8 million inhabitants) is currently one of the poorest countries in the world. Standing at 147 place on 188 countries according to the latest Human Development Index. Angola is still one of the worst performing country in the world concerning Maternal and Child Health indicators. The maternal mortality rate is 460 per 100.000 live births, while the mortality of children under 5 years old is 167 per 1.000 live births. Only 8% of women give births with skilled birth assistance. About 37.6% of children under 5 years old suffer from chronic malnutrition and about 4.9% suffer of severe acute malnutrition.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM have been working in Angola since 1997 with the aim of ensuring access to life saving care to the most vulnerable population groups. A maternity waiting home “Casa de Espera”, a structure close to the Hospital where pregnant women can wait for childbirths, has been constructed and supported by Doctors of Africa CUAMM since 2014.
Founded in 1950, Doctors with Africa CUAMM was the first Catholic non-governmental organization focused on healthcare to be recognized by the Italian government. Working with international and local partner teams, CUAMM provides medical aid and expertise in 8 African countries: Angola, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda. CUAMM also carries out capacity-building activities and conducts and disseminates scientific research with the end goal of ensuring that the fundamental human right to health can be enjoyed by everyone everywhere.
The project supported by The Caritas Pro Vitae Gradu Charitable Trust
The Caritas Pro Vitae Gradu Charitable Trust takes part in this mission by funding together with Doctors with Africa CUAMM the expenses incurred by the hospital for a period of two years.
Mission
The mission of the Project is to contribute, in the municipality of Ombadja, to the enhancement of the nutritional and health status of mothers and children less than 5 years old.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM’s intend to increase access to quality maternal, new-born child and nutritional services in the Missionary Hospital of Chiulo and to implement the project activities in constant and strict collaboration with the Chiulo Catholic Hospital management team and the local Health authorities. This approach will ensure capacity building of the local health management institutions and guarantee greater “content-appropriation” for future sustainability of the initiative upon project completion.