ENDA Santé, in charge of the governance pool through the Framework for consultation, coordination and advocacy of civil society for health in Senegal (3CAP Santé), coordinates several activities with its sub-recipients. The governance pool, through its activities of setting up local committees and capacity building, helps and equips civil society actors to develop and elaborate advocacy actions with the authorities at the local level.
Six local committees have been set up in the five implementation zones: Dakar (1 in Pikine and 1 in Guédiawaye), Thiès, Saint-Louis, Kaolack and Ziguinchor. These committees are composed of the different organizations that make up the Governance Pool at the local level. They are headed by a chairperson, a coordinator, an executive secretary and members. Their role is to coordinate, organize and facilitate activities at the local level and, above all, to advocate for health governance with the territorial administrative and health authorities for the effective participation of civil society actors in health governance bodies.
The Kaolack local committee has already made several information and presentation visits to the Governor, the Prefect, the Departmental Council, the Regional Chief Medical Officer and the District Chief Medical Officer. Through these visits, the members of the committee developed a first plan of action to advocate for a better involvement of civil society in health governance bodies at the local level. The authorities who were sensitive to 3CAP Health's missions were open to the committee members and some of them made commitments.
The commitment of the authorities to involve more actors to better manage the health challenges of the region
We welcomed the committee members. They explained their objectives and the level of involvement they would like our structure to grant them so that they participate in the decision-making and programming process, particularly in the area of health. We have planned for the year 2023, a program of rehabilitation and equipment of health posts. We are committed to involving them in the choice of the localities where the health posts will be located, taking into account the priorities for a more beneficial implementation for the populations.
Papa Macodou Ndiaye, President of the Health and Social Action Commission of the Kaolack Departmental Council
The Prefect also made a commitment to renew the Health Development Committees (HDCs), a complaint from health actors. The teams of some CDS have completed their mandate for years, the actors ask for a renewal in order to comply with the texts in force. For his part, the Regional Chief Medical Officer promised to take the necessary measures to further inform the Prefect, the authority empowered to organize the renewal of the CDS, of the urgency of this activity, a guarantee of good governance. The Committee also received assurances from the MCR that it would participate effectively in the next meeting to develop the Annual Work Plan (AWP), which identifies the region's health problems.
A good harvest for the committee greeted by its president Médoune Koné. The members are committed to continuing the work. To this end, a follow-up plan has already been developed and will be implemented in late February and early March. It will be to meet again with the authorities to take stock of the commitments.
