The President of the Ordre de Malte France, Thierry de Beaumont-Beynac, visited Guinea-Conakry from 10 to 14 April to sign a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Health. A technical agreement was also signed for the Pita surgery, point of reference for central Guinea, run by the Ordre de Malte France.

During this mission, the president of the Ordre de Malte France met various authorities, including the Prime Minister of Guinea, Mohamed Saïd Fofana, the Minister of International Cooperation, Professor Koutoub Moustapha Sano, the French Ambassador Bertrand Cochery and the Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Martin Krebs.

The mission served as an opportunity to distribute 12.5 tonnes of medicines and medical equipment to 15 health centres supported by the Ordre de Malte France.

Thierry de Beaumont-Beynac also visited the Marian sanctuary of Boffa, where some 20,000 pilgrims arrive every year from west Africa. Paramedics from Mali and Burkina Faso trained by the Ordre de Malte France offer first-aid services to the pilgrims.

The Ordre de Malte France has been operating in Guinea since 1986, when the first agreement was signed with the country for a national leprosy programme. Its Pita surgery operates as a logistics base for its national leprosy, tuberculosis and Buruli ulcer programmes The Ordre de Malte France also supports a dozen clinics in Guinea.