Ziguinchor, January 17 (APS) – An advocacy workshop for financing in maternal and child health opened Friday in Ziguinchor (south), for local authorities.
This workshop is organized by 3 CAP Santé, an organization bringing together around twenty civil society structures committed to promoting population health, human rights and strengthening the health system.
It aims to raise awareness and mobilize local elected officials “on the crucial importance of investing in maternal and child health”, explained Moundiaye Cissé, president of 3 CAP Santé, Framework for consultation, coordination and advocacy actions of civil society for health in Senegal.
He assured of the “clear desire” of local elected officials to invest in health financing. But, he said, “the means are lacking”.
“The legal framework is there, allowing the State to transfer resources to these local elected officials. But the transfers are not happening. In the mining sector, for example, the transfers which were to be made within the framework of the Local Development Fund and the Development Support Fund are not being followed,” lamented the president of 3 CAP Santé.
“We are working today with local elected officials to mobilize resources to finance maternal and child health. We are doing it in a coordinated way because it is good for each local authority to consider actions in this area. But, when these actions are coordinated, we have a much greater impact,” said Moundiaye Cissé.
He recalled that the Ziguinchor stage is a continuation of previous workshops organized in Kolda and Sédhiou, regions where local elected officials and civil society have also looked into action plans for financing the health of mother and child.
-Moundiaye Cissé also announced the upcoming holding of a “Partners Forum” to mobilize health allies to work to consolidate financing for maternal and child health.
“With the initiative and vision of the president of the 3 CAP health organization, today, civil society and local elected officials are working hand in hand to meet the challenges we face at the level of our local authorities” , greeted the president of the Union of Associations of Local Elected Officials of Senegal, Mamadou Oury Diallo.
He noted that this workshop made it possible to highlight the efforts that local authorities are making in the field of health, more particularly on financing maternal and child health.
MNF/BK/ASG
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