Abidjan Burns Center: 1 bed for 3 patients, the urgent need for expansion

Created in 1995 for 500 patients per year, the Burns Center at Cocody University Hospital now treats 1,500 with only 23 beds. Domestic accidents (gas cylinders, short circuits) are the third cause of emergency interventions in Ivory Coast. Children under 14 and women account for 75% of victims, and 60-70% of patients are under 5. Burn-related deaths doubled in one year, from 7 in 2023 to 15 by mid-2024.