The Central African Republic is part of the countries with the highest rate of neonatal and maternal mortality in the world. This is mostly due to the substantial lack of structures offering obstetrical care, including in the capital of Bangui, but also to clandestine abortion and poor access to family planning and health structures in general. This lack of structure is particularly challenging for patients with complicated pregnancy or childbirth. It is in this context that MSF has started to support the Maternité des Castors in 2014, with a view to contributing to decrease the child and maternal mortality rates as well as offering to the women of Bangui high quality health services for free.

Since then, the Maternité des Castors is the only sexual and reproductive health structure that offers high quality health services for free, including for very complex cases, which draws a large number of patients from the capital and the surrounding areas. In 2019, 10,313 births were recorded in the Maternité des Castors, among which 1,079 by caesarean section. This high attendance and the lack of space have obliged the Maternité des Castors to establish admission criteria in order to focus as much as possible on complicated cases (caesarean section, ectopic pregnancies etc.).

In 2019, MSF decentralized assisted deliveries without complications and sexual and reproductive health activities from the Maternité des Castors to Bébé Combattant, Boy-Rabe and Petevo health centres. This strategy aims at removing the strain on this maternity and bringing high quality health services closer to the population, while referring complex obstetrical cases to Castors for a more advanced care.

On the same year, the Maternité des Castors also provided medical and psychological support with complete confidentiality to 123 survivors of sexual violence.