AMICI PER IL CENTRAFRICA ODV
“Mama Carla Dispensary: a beacon of hope in the heart of Bangui”
In the Central African Republic, one of the poorest and most forgotten countries in the world, where life expectancy barely reaches 55 years and 1 in 7 children dies before the age of 5, access to healthcare is a privilege for the few. This is why the Mama Carla Dispensary, inaugurated on October 5, 2017 and born from the dream of Carla Pagani, founder of Friends for Central Africa, represents a silent revolution: a place where health and dignity are restored as rights, not privileges.
Today, Mama Carla is a national reference point: in the first six months of 2024 alone, it welcomed 37,388 patients, including 11,476 children. The center provides pediatric care, general medicine, dentistry, vaccinations, laboratory tests, and ophthalmology (including the local production of eyeglasses). During this period, 941 patients received dental care, while 401 children under the age of 2 and 424 pregnant women benefited from the vaccination program.
Prevention begins at school: in 2024, 826 pupils from the Nicolas Barré school received medical check-ups, creating a virtuous model of health education.
The dispensary also works in close synergy with CHUPB, Bangui’s main pediatric hospital: 2,580 children were transferred to the center to ease hospital pressure, while 174 young patients were referred from the dispensary to the hospital for specialized treatments. This system reduced hospital admissions by 4.2%, improving emergency management.
Yet behind every number lies a story: of a mother who is finally heard, of a newborn saved by a vaccination, of a child who smiles again thanks to a pair of glasses. With just €10 – the cost of 8 coffees – you can guarantee a day of medical care.
At the Milan Marathon, every step our runners take will be a step for them. Run with us: together we can turn effort into hope, kilometers into smiles, solidarity into life.
