Dr. Célestine Ahouanvoedo

Dr. Célestine Ahouanvoedo is an internal medicine specialist at CNHU Hubert Maga, Benin's principal university teaching hospital in Cotonou. She is one of a small but growing cohort of women physician-specialists in Benin, and her career over 13 years reflects both the challenges and the expanding possibilities of specialist medicine in West Africa's francophone countries.

Dr. Ahouanvoedo's clinical focus has increasingly centred on non-communicable diseases, which now represent a significant and growing share of the internal medicine caseload at CNHU-HKM. Diabetes, hypertension, and thyroid disorders are among the conditions she sees most frequently, driven by urbanisation, changing dietary habits, and improved patient awareness in Cotonou. She works closely with the hospital's cardiology and nephrology teams in managing patients with hypertensive heart disease and diabetic kidney complications.

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Ahouanvoedo is engaged in patient health education, recognising that long-term management of chronic diseases in Benin depends heavily on patients' own understanding of their conditions. She conducts group education sessions for diabetic patients at CNHU-HKM and has been involved in outreach activities targeting hypertension screening in Cotonou's markets and community centres.

Dr. Ahouanvoedo obtained her Doctorat en Médecine from the Faculté des Sciences de la Santé of the Université d'Abomey-Calavi in Cotonou. She subsequently completed her specialty training, earning a Diplôme de Spécialité en Médecine Interne through the national residency programme based at CNHU Hubert Maga. She undertook a three-month visiting fellowship at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux in France, focusing on endocrinology and diabetes management. Since returning to Benin, she has completed additional training in hypertension management through the International Society of Hypertension's Africa working group programmes.

Dr. Ahouanvoedo manages complex internal medicine cases with a particular focus on endocrine and metabolic disorders. She provides specialist evaluation and long-term management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, including insulin initiation and titration, management of diabetic complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy), and gestational diabetes. She manages essential and secondary hypertension, chronic kidney disease, anaemia of various aetiologies, and thyroid disorders including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. She works with the hospital's laboratory and radiology departments to coordinate complex diagnostic work-ups and provides inpatient medical management for acutely unwell patients in the internal medicine ward.

Dr. Ahouanvoedo is an active participant in the Société Béninoise de Médecine Interne's annual scientific meetings, where she has presented case-based presentations on the management of diabetic emergencies and hypertensive crises in resource-limited settings. She has contributed to CNHU-HKM's internal clinical audit programme on diabetes outcomes and has collaborated on a multi-centre data collection initiative with the West African Health Organisation examining the prevalence of hypertension in urban Benin.

Dr. Ahouanvoedo consults in French and in Fon, making her accessible to both French-speaking international patients and patients from Benin's major indigenous language communities. She is experienced in reviewing international medical records for diaspora patients from France, Belgium, and Canada who seek specialist evaluation during home visits. Her familiarity with European pharmaceutical names and drug formulations allows her to review and adapt prescriptions for patients who have been managed overseas and are transitioning to locally available medications.

Dr. Ahouanvoedo has been recognised within CNHU Hubert Maga for her leadership in chronic disease patient education and her contributions to the hospital's outreach screening programmes. She is an active member of the Société Béninoise de Médecine Interne and has received acknowledgment from the Conseil National de l'Ordre des Médecins du Bénin for her continued professional development and service to public medicine.