The Director of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of Luxembourg, Mr Manuel Tonnar, paid an official visit to Ziguinchor on 25 April 2019, accompanied by a strong delegation.
This visit is part of the strengthening of the cooperation that Senegal and Luxembourg have maintained for more than thirty (30) years.
In Ziguinchor, this partnership is reflected in the implementation of various projects, including
- The FEVE phase 3 project (Frontiers and Vulnerabilities to HIV in West Africa), which focuses on prevention, care and inter-country cooperation in the fight against AIDS among the most vulnerable populations in border areas in 9 countries (Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Gambia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast).
- The CARES project (Casamance Research Program on HIV Resistance and Sexual Health), which is involved in the training of health personnel, the equipping of health infrastructures and the provision of care for the management and monitoring of hepatitis, cervical cancer and resistance to treatment of HIV infection in Ziguinchor and Guinea Bissau. This project is being carried out with the scientific and technical participation of several Luxembourg organisations (Luxembourg Institute of Health, Centre hospitalier de Luxembourg, the NGO SANACCESS, the Fondation de Recherche SIDA, the Laboratoire national de Santé).
- The VIMOS project (Sexual Violence and Genital Mutilation in Senegal) phases 1 and 2, carried out with the support of SANACCESS Luxembourg, focuses on the promotion of a favourable environment for the improvement of the health and well-being of young victims of violence, particularly sexual violence, in Casamance (Senegal) and in neighbouring countries (Gambia, Guinea Bissau). This project will set up various community-based interventions as well as the construction of a centre with a sub-regional vocation for the treatment of violence against women.
In addition to the funds from the Luxembourg Cooperation, the Luxembourg Cooperation Agency LuxDev also implements funds from the European Union in Casamance through the project "Equitable access to vocational training - ACEFOP" , which aims to promote employment, especially of young people, through improved training and professional integration and the upgrading of enterprises.
The visit was an opportunity for the Luxembourg delegation:
- To visit the Outpatient Treatment Pavilion (PTA) and the laboratory facilities of the Silence Hospital as well as an exchange with health professionals and in particular with the midwives;
- Lay the foundation stone for the integrated centre for the treatment of violence against women, as part of the VIMOS project ;
- To visit a workshop of an apprentice master followed by an exchange with the apprentices in the framework of the ACEFOPproject