Bishop Claudio Giuliodori with children in Dodoma

CHURCH

Italy’s Bishops, Gemelli hospital team up to offer maternity care in Tanzania

The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Rome’s Gemelli Hospital are setting up a gynecology and obstetrics clinic to provide healthcare to expectant mothers in Dodoma, Tanzania.

By Devin Watkins

The Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) is providing financial backing for a project to offer maternity care for pregnant women in Tanzania.

Several representatives from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic Foundation IRCCS are visiting the future clinic site in Dodoma on January 27 to February 5.

The project focuses on enhancing socio-health activities and infrastructure in East Africa, and is part of a wider project to provide high-quality medical care.

The mission aims to improve St. Gemma Hospital in Dodoma, providing consulting and training.

It will see the construction of a new Maternity department, including an Operating Room and Delivery Room.

The Gemelli Foundation's Gynecology and Obstetrics Area, led by Prof. Antonio Lanzone, will contribute to the facility’s development.

A view of the new clinic's grounds

Support of Italian Bishops

Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, the General Ecclesiastical Assistant at the Catholic University, is leading the delegation, which includes gynecologists and experts from the Technical, ICT, and health technology innovation sectors of the Gemelli Foundation.

According to a press release from the university, Bishop Giuliodori has been involved in St. Gemma Hospital's development since the early 2000s and has overseen previous Tanzania projects supported by the CEI.

Funding for the project will come with help from the so-called 8xmille election that Italian taxpayers can make to donate 0.8% of their taxes to the Catholic Church in Italy.

A doctor and nurses perform a sonogram on a pregnant woman

Responding to local needs

Dodoma has seen extensive population growth, especially in peripheral neighborhoods, making St. Gemma Hospital a key facility for the city's poorest families.

The Italian Bishops’ funding will expand existing health facilities, add beds for expectant mothers, construct a new maternity ward, and provide care for premature infants.

These upgrades will also support other health facilities in the Dodoma region.

Members of the Gemelli hospital staff will also provide training for healthcare personnel that will serve in the new maternity clinic.