Center designed to serve people who are vulnerable

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Bangui, Central African Republic*, have opened the Artemides Zatti Health Center, which was a significant event for the local community and for all those involved in improving access to healthcare. The new center is designed to serve the most vulnerable populations.

The opening ceremony was hosted for donors, local authorities, and the entire staff of the health center, as well as Father Roland Mintsa, superior of the Equatorial Tropical Africa Vice-Province, the director of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, and the rector of the Salesian community in Damala.

During speeches, those who led this initiative praised the joint efforts that made this project a reality, despite the numerous challenges encountered during its implementation. Administrative and technical difficulties could have derailed the initiative, but, as one of the speakers emphasized, “Despite the labor pains and the struggles of childbirth, the baby has finally been born.”

A Salesian noted, “The Artemides Zatti Health Center has opened its doors with the aim of offering quality care, a warm welcome and a local presence for those most in need in the capital of the Central African Republic. This opening represents not only the culmination of a project, but also the dawn of new hope for the residents of the Damala neighborhood and its surroundings.”

The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries on the African continent — despite being very rich in resources such as uranium, gold and diamonds. It is also very unstable politically due to the regime changes and civil wars that have occurred over the last 20 years.

According to the World Bank, in 2024, approximately 71% of people lived below the international poverty line, with 65.7% living on less than $2.15 per day. The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world, and the most common causes are diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections and acute malnutrition.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Central African Republic – Official opening of the Artemides Zatti health centre

Salesian Missions – Central African Republic

World Bank – Central African Republic

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.