Sight and Life Magazine 1/2011

72Reportfrom GogounouBlessings at the I-DomarouHealth CenterPhilippe Bani MoraDomarou Health Centre, Gogounou, BeninOne of the Millennium Development Goals is to reduce the childmortality rate via people’s access to primary healthcare. Withthis in mind, in April 2010 the I-Domarou health care center wasestablished in Gogounou, thanks to financial support from ourfaithful partner Sight and Life. The center’s fame quickly spreadand it soon set consultation records for the whole community.I-Domarou, which means blessings in the local language, iscompetitive in terms of its quality of care, affordability and hospitality.Providing a full range of care, it is run by three people,including a senior public health technician/nutritionist, whoalso acts as center manager; a social assistant; and a caregivertrained at the center.Nutritional, preventative and educational workNutritional recovery is made on the basis of a “food square” consistingof a source of cereal (starch or tuber); a source of protein(vegetable or animal); a source of mineral complexes and vita-Curative workI-Domarou is an integrated health center and its activities arepatient-driven. Cases include childhood illnesses, nutritionaldiseases, and many others, including skin infections, cuts, injuriesand deficiencies in micronutrients. The center initiallytreated 328 cases in April 2010; however, numbers have risenand a grand total of 2,927 patients were seen over a period ofsix months. At a community level, the center received 150 patientswhose parents did not even have one franc to support theirchildren – most of whom were seriously ill. It also received fourorphans and assisted with their medical care. In addition, it hasseen 10 cases of night blindness.Philippe Bani Mora, manager of the Domarou Health Centre,Gogounou, Benin, established in 2010 with the financial supportof Sight and Life