In a regional hospital in Benin's southwestern city of Lokossa, obstetrician Tu Jinzhi and her local team faced a high-stakes emergency: an HIV-positive pregnant woman carrying a fetus with a severe congenital skull malformation. With local prenatal screening and infection prevention systems constrained by limited resources, there were extreme risks of surgical complications and occupational exposure.
Through precise execution and strict protective protocols, Dr. Tu delivered the infant safely while keeping both mother and child stable. The complex rescue addressed a critical vulnerability in local maternal care – a single case that reflects a decades-long commitment. Twenty-eight Chinese medical teams totaling 662 personnel have served in Benin since 1978, all dispatched by northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, building a foundation of healthcare support in the West African country.
This operation in Lokossa reflects a broader trend in international medical aid – moving beyond emergency clinical interventions toward clinical mentorship, long-term capacity building and collaborative disease control.