Lifebox in Francophone Africa

Long-time Lifebox champion, Dr. Chaibou of Niger helped out at the Lifebox stand at SARAF.

The pulse oximeter gap in Francophone West Africa is high, and Lifebox has worked extensively with SARAF-member countries to address this gap by delivering over 1500 pulse oximeters and training to more than 1000 anesthesia providers. As an international organization established for and by anesthesia providers from the Francophone countries of Africa, SARAF is a natural partner for Lifebox. With SARAF’s help, Lifebox has deliver pulse oximeters and training in the following countries: Togo (2012), Burkina Faso (2013, 2016), Niger (2014), Benin (2015), Côte d’Ivoire (2016), Guinea (2017), Burundi, Cameroon and the DRC (2018, 2019).

Dr. Bernard Le Polain, a Belgian anesthesiologist and Lifebox supporter, officially donating 30 Lifebox pulse oximeters to the Malian Society of Anaesthesia and its President, Prof. Y. Coulibaly.

With the help of Dr. Sani Chaibou (Niger) and Dr. Francis Yapi N’guessan (Côte d’Ivoire), Dr. Bernard Le Polain (Belgium) represented Lifebox at the most recent SARAF Congress and presented the Malian Society of Anaesthesia with a donation of 30 Lifebox pulse oximeters which were warmly received by Dr. Coulibaly, President of the Society and Dr. Michel Sidibe, Minister of Health of Mali. Lifebox is planning to work with the Malian Society to deliver additional pulse oximeters and SAFE training sessions in Mali in 2020, capitalizing on the presence of a regional cohort of experienced trainers.

Dr. Bernard Le Polain representing Lifebox (left), Mr. Michel Hamala Sidibé, Mali Health Minister (right), and Prof. Youssouf Coulibaly, President elect of SARAF and President of the Malian Society of Anaesthesia (middle).

Yaoundé, Cameroon, April 2018

A Lifebox pulse oximeter workshop in Bujumbura, Burundi, July 2019.

A “Training of Trainers” Lifebox workshop held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in April 2018.