As a prelude to the 7th edition of the International Congress of the Ivorian Society of Cardiology, a pre-congress workshop was held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Abidjan. One of the key themes of the day was fetal echocardiography.

The workshop was led by Dr. Nassiba Alami Laroussi, a pediatric cardiologist at CHU Sainte-Justine and Associate Professor at the University of Montreal, alongside Sylvie Gamache, a fetal echo technician at Sainte-Justine.

The session brought together participants mostly physicians from the Abidjan Heart Institute (ICA) and neighboring countries such as Chad and Guinea — for a technical and practical deep dive into fetal echocardiography. The two speakers highlighted the importance of early screening, the objectives and diagnosis process, and possible treatment pathways, all while integrating ethical and legal considerations.

The workshop was highly interactive, with numerous questions from participants helping to clarify complex points. Several ICA doctors expressed their satisfaction with the knowledge shared.

This event is part of a broader mission launched on May 3, 2025, in which a team of 20 Canadian medical professionals from Sainte-Justine are working alongside Ivorian surgeons at the ICA. They are currently supervising cardiac surgeries for several patients a mission that reflects their ongoing commitment to capacity building and combating heart disease in Côte d’Ivoire.