To achieve this, the means will have to be sufficiently transferred by the State to the grassroots level. “Elected officials have a clear desire to invest in health financing, but the means are lacking [….]and yet the legal framework is there, allowing the State, for example, to transfer resources to these local elected officials. “, mentioned Moundiaye Cissé president of the Framework for consultation and coordination of civil society organizations for health advocacy in Senegal (3 Cap Santé).
The president of 3 Cap Santé regrets that the transfers of funds are not effective and do not follow. Local elected officials and 30 civil society organizations are working to mobilize financial resources to address the challenges of the health sector.
Coordination work on all these actions is necessary in the opinion of the president of 3 Cap Santé Moundiaye Cissé. “It is good that each local authority is considering actions in this area. But when these actions are coordinated we have an impact, a much greater scope,” he underlined.
Mamadou Oury Diallo, president of the Association of Local Elected Officials of Senegal, welcomed the holding of this meeting. Meeting which is part of a tour in the three regions of the south of the country. After the regions of Kolda and Sédhiou, Ziguinchor brings up the rear. The president of the Union of the Association of Local Elected Officials of Senegal informs that this tour made it possible to highlight the efforts that local authorities make to finance maternal and child health services. But the lack of data does not allow us to have a clear idea of all the work carried out by local elected officials, explained Mr. Diallo. He drew a positive assessment of all the initiatives taken.
On behalf of local elected officials in the region, the mayor of the commune of Mlomp department of Bignona, returning to the challenges at the local level, affirms that communities have serious problems in facing the challenges of maternal and infant mortality. “The health of the mother is one of our prerogatives. We have an obligation to contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality in our localities,” declared Ansoumana Diémé, the councilor of Mlomp Fogny.
-These challenges involve upgrading the technical platform of the various health posts, according to Mr. Diémé. He adds that awareness-raising at the grassroots level, in particular among local elected officials, ”badienou gokh”, health committees, head nurses, basically all the players involved in health, is necessary.
After this southern stage, the other zones of the country will also follow to go towards the partners’ forum. This meeting will make it possible to mobilize all those who work in the field of health, in order to carry out work to consolidate the financing of maternal and child health, said the president of the Framework for Coordination of Health Organizations. civil society for health advocacy in Senegal (3 Cap Santé), Moundiaye Cissé.
Senegal
