Mother and Child Health : Mrs Dominique Ouattara and Mrs Michele Rubirola discuss ways of working together

First Lady Dominique Ouattara held a working session with Mrs Michele Rubirola, First Deputy Mayor of Marseille in charge of health and international cooperation, accompanied by several members of her delegation, this Thursday, September 12, 2024.

This working session focused mainly on women’s and children’s health care, as well as health promotion and prevention. During the meeting, Mrs Dominique Ouattara and her guests explored avenues of collaboration between the cities of Marseille and Abidjan to strengthen care and improve health conditions for women and children in Côte d’Ivoire.

Mrs Dominique Ouattara welcomed the initiative. According to the President of the Children Of Africa Foundation, the Ivorian government has made enormous efforts to improve healthcare provision for the population. This policy has led to the construction of numerous health establishments across the country. However, for the wife of the Head of State, despite this improvement in healthcare provision and technical facilities in Côte d’Ivoire, there is still a need.

For her part, Mrs Michele Rubirola, who came to Abidjan as part of World Suicide Prevention Day, expressed her wish to revive the historic twinning between the cities of Marseille and Abidjan. This partnership, established in 1958, could be given a new lease of life through cooperation projects in the health sector and exchanges between the two cities. She also praised the actions undertaken by                  Mrs Ouattara through her Children of Africa Foundation, for the health and well-being of the Ivorian population. “I wanted to meet this wonderful woman because of all she has already done for Côte d’Ivoire, in particular the creation of the Bingerville Mother and Child Hospital and her investment in children’s health throughout Africa. For me, she’s a great lady”, shared Mrs Rubirola after the working session.

Michele Rubirola is a French politician, doctor by profession and a environmental activist. She is particularly well known for having been elected mayor of Marseille in July 2020, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the city’s history.  However, in December 2020, Michele Rubirola resigned as mayor due to health problems. After her resignation, she was replaced by Benoît Payan, while remaining First Deputy Delegate for municipal action and implementation of the majority’s project.