The Cuomo Cardio-Paediatric Centre successfully completes its 1,000th open-heart procedure

The Cuomo Cardio-Paediatric Centre in Dakar (CCPC) celebrated its 1,000th open-heart surgery on February 28th.

Over the last six years, its dedicated team of specialists has successfully treated congenital heart diseases and rheumatic valve diseases that affect so many of West Africa’s children. Prior to the establishment of this one-of-a-kind specialist paediatrics centre in Senegal’s capital, children with heart diseases had little chance of survival, with only a small percentage lucky enough to be sent overseas for medical treatment.

The CCPC is the successful result of a committed partnership between the public hospital CHN Fann, La Chaîne de l’Espoir and the Cuomo Foundation. The centre, which was the first cardiac unit capable of performing open-heart paediatric surgeries in West Africa at the time of its construction, was entirely financed by the Cuomo Foundation with an investment of seven million euros. Furthermore, the Cuomo Foundation, in collaboration with La Chaîne de l’Espoir, has funded the entire operational costs since its inception in 2017.

Since opening its doors in 2017, the CCPC has not only provided specialised care to its young patients in Senegal but has also welcomed children from neighbouring countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Liberia, and Guinea-Bissau. Today, the centre is run by highly trained Senegalese surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists, and resuscitators.

We would like to share Madame Maria Elena Cuomo’s speech from this occasion, which is available below.