RIA & The Ivory Coast

Working Together To Create a New Paradigm
for Rural Health Care in the Cote D’Ivoire

The Ivory Coast is a small coastal country in sub-Saharan Africa with a total population of nearly 30 million. A developing economy, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is well under $3,627 U.S. dollars, indicating a very low standard of living. The total expenditure on health per capita is $131.00.

The provision of health care is dominated by the public sector which is divided into three levels. The primary level is composed of health centers, specialized health centers and clinics. The secondary level includes general, regional and specialized hospitals. The tertiary level is composed of health facilities used for second referrals, such as teaching hospitals and specialized national institutes. There are continual shortages of necessary medical equipment, supplies, and medicine and there are large regional discrepancies with most of the health care professionals found in Yamoussoukro, the political capital of the Ivory Coast and Abidjan, the administrative center on the coast.

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Primary Barriers to Effective Care

  • Insufficient Access 

  • Acute shortage of health workers

  • Systemic Weaknesses

    • Lack of resources

    • Weak management practices

    • Mind-sets and behaviors

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Primary Health
Care Goals

  • Achieving an AIDS - free generation

  • Rolling - back malaria

  • Reaching elimination of neglected tropical diseases

  • Improving outcomes for maternal and reproductive health

  • Water, hygiene and sanitation

Partnering with local governments and non-profits to increase access to healthcare on the Ivory Coast

RIA & Project C.U.R.E.’s Partnership

 Since 1987, Project C.U.R.E has been delivering life-saving medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics throughout the under-resourced world. They are the world’s largest distributor of donated medical relief—touching the lives of children and families in more than 134 countries.  

Their programs are funded by grants from the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and by the generous support of philanthropic foundations, corporate partners and individual donors from all walks of life. And we’re proud to say that they are regularly ranked as one of the top charities in America by Charity Navigator, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes magazine.

C.U.R.E. Needs Assessments -    Project C.U.R.E. collaborates with partners in each country to develop a high-level understanding of the scope of need. The thorough, on-site Needs Assessments process ensures that every container delivered will meet the specific needs of the recipient hospital or clinic, equipping the medical staff with the tools to improve diagnosis, treatment and care. 

C.U.R.E. Cargo -   On average, each week Project C.U.R.E.’s Cargo program delivers three - five 40-foot semi-trailer sized cargo containers carrying medical donations to hospitals, clinics and Community health centers in developing countries.  They conduct complex inspection, inventory and logistics process that annually places millions of dollars worth of medical supplies and modern equipment directly into the hands of doctors and nurses so they can provide quality care to their patients, many of whom are women and young children.  

C.U.R.E. Clinics - C.U.R.E. Clinics are an extension of our C.U.R.E. Cargo program offering medical support, services and education to Project C.U.R.E. international partners. Each year, hundreds of healthcare professionals travel with Project C.U.R.E to provide medical treatment to communities in need and training to those dedicated to serving them. They are focused on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and COVID-19 and Ebola. They also work alongside health experts to treat victims of earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters as well as societal crises.