A New Boost for Maternal Health

The Befelatanana University Hospital Center for Gynecology and Obstetrics (CHUGOB) receives more than 15,000 patients each year, performs between 6,000 and 9,000 deliveries, and cares for approximately 2,500 newborns.

This hospital, established in 1957, is now a leading center for maternal and child health in Madagascar. To improve care and enhance the safety of procedures, Japan donated medical equipment worth €63,724 to CHUGOB. The official handover took place on January 9, 2026, in Antananarivo, in the presence of the Japanese Ambassador, Hitoshi Tojima, and Kyoko Furuzono, Head of Development Cooperation.

This donation is part of the CHUGOB Medical Equipment Installation Project, supported by the Local Micro-Project Assistance (APL) program. The contract was signed in November 2024. This is not the first time such a project has been undertaken: in 2016, the same program funded the construction of access ramps to facilitate the transport of pregnant women and patients within the hospital.

The new equipment includes an anesthesia ventilator, three incubators for premature babies, and four uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). The ventilator will make surgical operations safer, the incubators will provide better conditions for the survival of fragile newborns, and the UPS will protect medical equipment in the event of a power outage.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Hitoshi Tojima emphasized that health is the foundation of a country’s development. “Maternal and child health is much more than just a matter of well-being,” he stated. This sector represents the hope of a better future for every family and an essential pillar of human capital*,” he stated.