In a dozen or more countries, mostly in Africa, Terre des hommes is fighting to be able to offer basic care to the most impoverished children, with specialized treatment when necessary. Nearly two-thirds of the world's population still have no access to such care, and continue to survive with minimal life expectation, unacceptable death, the breaking up of families and social groups, and with feelings of injustice and helplessness.

Treatment is carried out wherever possible on the spot. When, however, local infrastructure or skill is not good enough to treat the disease efficiently, the child is transferred to Switzerland (or elsewhere in Europe) for the operation. On the top of this, Terre des hommes trains local personnel, supports local health facilities and organizes selective surgical missions.


Terre des hommes' vision
Ten million children die every year in the so-called developing countries, for lack of suitable facilities or the remedies essential for their survival. In the past 50 years, medical progress has taken spectacular steps! If we could save 90% of those children by simple treatment and care, how can we ignore the millions of children handicapped by heart disorders or other problems, doomed to a life of misery through want of access to the treatment they need?

Africa is in itself the essence of world-wide health problems. Terre des hommes concentrates almost all its efforts on this continent, as Africa carries around 25% of the world's burden of disease and death, with only 1.3% of the world's health personnel... Most of the health systems there are in a condition of worrying instability. In this context, only a world-wide program or an NGO gives a chance of survival.

Terre des hommes fights to offer access to treatment. Whether basic care, an inalienable right whatever the situation or location, or specialized treatment for children born with a congenital disease or a handicap, this struggle requires faultless logistics, considerable financial means, active involvement of decision takers world-wide and locally, plus the unwavering faith of the professionals engaged in this mission. To contribute, even in a small way, is in itself a step in the right direction.


Terre des hommes' action
Terre des hommes has taken up cudgels for implementation of the rights of children, whether sick or handicapped, for their access to basic health care or specialized treatment. This mission has a triple foundation: health care given on the spot; transfers to Switzerland (or France or Spain); and selective surgical missions.

In those countries where we are active, we first identify the child and his/her needs, then work to diagnose the disease and to find a remedy for it. Our priority is to try to deal with it on the spot. Consultations and treatment are carried out by our teams or in the local public or private health facilities with whom we are in partnership. With some of these we plan administrative, technical and sometimes financial follow-up to help them improve their medical benefits.

If for any reason there is no appropriate solution in his/her own country, we transfer the child to Switzerland for treatment, thanks to partnerships existing with the hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne. An important preparatory administrative job is done at our Main Office (visas, permits, etc.).
Then comes the actual transfer, a hard time for the child and his family; here Terre des hommes is backed by a network of specialists and of competent, deeply engaged volunteers. If quality of treatment is essential, the quality of the accompanying adults and the child's reception place is no less so. During the whole of his/her stay in Switzerland, before and after operations, the majority of children live in Massongex in «La Maison» run by Terre des hommes-Valais.

Finally, together with the University Hospitals, we organize each year several missions of surgical specialists. More than the numerous operations performed, these missions are one of the keys to the transfer of skills to local medical bodies: training in new techniques and courses allow us to raise the level of treatment available on the spot.


A scene from real life
«On landing, the whole cabin was laughing…Zoubeir blew a kiss to his bag, the porthole, my hand, with that wonderful smile of childhood… In Nouakchott (Mauritania) his relatives were waiting and they all came back with us to their village. A moving moment was when his grandmother pressed him close to her heart – "I can hardly believe it, he's really well again!"»
Anne, air ambulance nurse for Aviation Sans Frontières.