Supporting the Persis Paediatric Medical and Surgical Centre
— Burkina Faso —

BACKGROUND
Initially dedicated to the prevention and treatment of noma, a rapidly progressive facial necrosis affecting many Burkinabe children, the Foundation’s support for the Persis Paediatric Medical and Surgical Centre (CMCPP) expanded in 2018, with two principal missions:
- prevention and treatment of oral disease;
- treatment of severe and moderate malnutrition through the CMCPP’s Nutritional Education and Recovery Centre.
These areas of involvement address two decisive factors in preventing noma (oral hygiene and nutrition) and respond to the urgent threat posed by armed conflicts, which have led to renewed food shortages, with young children being the first to suffer. Burkina Faso, one of Africa’s poorest countries, is facing new waves of violence, particularly in the isolated northern regions where the Persis Paediatric Medical and Surgical Centre is located.
COMPREHENSIVE PAEDIATRIC SUPPORT
The CMCPP was founded in 2004 in Ouahigouya, in the northern region of Burkina Faso, by the Persis Burkina Association, an NGO working in health, education, vocational training, and family and social reintegration. The CMCPP provides low-cost preventive, curative, and rehabilitative paediatric care. Its mission is also to promote healthcare-related training and education. The centre added a maternity ward and neonatal department in 2018, which handled more than 1,000 deliveries in 2020.
Beyond direct patient treatment, the CMCPP provides:
- an external medical monitoring system after patients return to family;
- prevention initiatives in schools and orphanages and awareness-raising through public events; and
- social support (school fees and food) for underprivileged children and their families.
AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT
In 2020, these field activities were disrupted by security issues, which caused substantial population displacements, further worsened by the Covid-19 epidemic. Despite these major challenges, the CMCPP continues to provide quality healthcare for poor and at-risk populations. This unwavering day-to-day commitment was in large part thanks to Dr Lassara Zala, founder of the Persis Paediatric Medical and Surgical Centre, who received the Burkinabe Order of Merit in 2020.
KEY FACTS
_____
Priority
Access to quality healthcare
Programme
2017-2021
Type of involvement
Distributor
Action
Funding the Persis Paediatric Medical and Surgical Centre and initiatives to prevent and treat oral disease and malnutrition in underprivileged Burkinabe children
Origins of the project to establish the medical and surgical centre in Ouahigouya
Our goal: providing relief to children so as many as possible can live happy lives.”
Dr Lassara Zala
Paediatrician and CMCPP founder
ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE INITIATVES
Achievements
In total, over the years 2018, 2019 and 2020:
6,562
oral-health consultations and 2,454 dental treatments
107
maxillofacial consultations and 13 restorative surgeries
1,525
new patients, including 956 in 2019 and 569 in 2020
977
children treated for severe malnutrition
14
children given academic support
PARTNERS
- Persis Burkina Association
- Persis Paediatric Medical and Surgical Centre
See also
Prévention et prise en charge des maladies de peau chez les personnes vivant avec l’albinisme
La Fondation met en place avec 2 partenaires un programme pilote de caravanes médicales pour l’éducation des personnes atteintes d’albinisme, l'accès au diagnostic et la prise en charge des lésions cutanées.
16/01/2020See also
Prévention, diagnostic et prise en charge de la drépanocytose
La Fondation Pierre Fabre accompagne le Comité d'Initiative contre la Drépanocytose au Burkina pour mener un projet d'une ampleur inédite dans le pays.
30/07/2018Follow our actions
Healthcare access for vulnerable populations: Interview with Roch M’Bétid
Interview with Roch M’Bétid, gynaecologist and obstetrician at the Amitié Hospital in Bangui in the Central African Republic, which houses the free care unit for victims of sexual and gender-based violence