News
Chad : Meet Opportune, midwife at the service of refugee women
Publié le 21/02/2025 | Temps de lecture : 2 min
A critical humanitarian situation in Eastern Chad
Since April 2023, the conflict in Sudan has led to a massive influx of refugees into eastern Chad, particularly in the Ouaddaï province. Today, over 735,000 Sudanese refugees and 150,000 Chadian returnees live in camps or transit sites, where access to basic social services is particularly limited.
It is against this backdrop that Première Urgence Internationale is taking urgent action to help vulnerable populations in the east of the country. Our team is deploying six health posts, two of which are located in the Allacha refugee camp, home to 47,000 refugees. Teams there provide vital maternal and child health care to the many pregnant women and their newborn babies.
In Allacha, Opportune is one of the 4 midwives of Première Urgence Internationale. At the age of 31, this committed, state-qualified professional accompanies refugee women through one of the most intense moments of their lives: the birth of their child.
Duwana’s testimony
Duwana (name anonymous) is one of the many women Opportune accompanies. Pregnant at the age of 20, this young Sudanese refugee is particularly isolated and vulnerable. From their very first meeting, the midwife offered her a sympathetic ear and support, establishing a climate of trust.
The day Duwana’s water broke, her first instinct was to call Opportune. Noting the urgency of the situation, and respecting the young woman’s wish that she should help her give birth, Opportune, in consultation with her team, organized her transfer to the nearest clinic, run by the NGO International Rescue Committee. With the agreement of the local midwife, Opportune assisted Duwana until the birth of her child.
Grateful for the support received and moved by the experience, Duwana chose to name her daughter “Ikbal”, which means “Opportune” in Sudanese Arabic.
A complete approach to care
Since the deployment of the health posts in Allacha camp in May 2024, 167 medically-assisted deliveries have been carried out in the health post where Opportune works, by Première Urgence Internationale teams. 159 of these involved pregnant refugee women.
- In the same health post, 1,026 pregnant women came for a consultation and 12 were referred to the Métché hospital, supported by MSF-Spain, following complications.
- 548 pregnant and breast-feeding women were also treated for moderate acute malnutrition, including 513 refugees.
These activities in Chad are made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union Humanitarian Aid.
