Dispatches

Print Send by mail

Spanish development officials and parliamentarians end successful tour in Senegal

DAKAR, Senegal – A one-week study tour by Spanish officials has concluded with an improved understanding of reproductive health issues and a better grasp of problems faced by Senegal.

The tour, organized by the UNFPA Senegal Country Office in collaboration with the Geneva Office and the NGO Spanish Interest Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health (SIG), took a group of participants to visit reproductive-health related projects across the country for a week.

“Senegal is a key country in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Suzanne Konate-Maiga, the UNFPA Representative in Senegal. “While maternal mortality is on the decrease, it still remains too high at 401 deaths for each 100 000 live births). And while HIV prevalence is among the lowest in Africa, some vulnerable groups – like migrants, prisoners or sex workers – have much higher prevalence rates than the general population so we must remain vigilant.”

The group visited a number of UNFPA projects both around Dakar and in the northern region of Saint-Louis, including HIV prevention work among bus drivers, health clinics, midwifery training, and peer-to-peer instruction and practice among youth. Several members of the Senegalese media accompanied the group, and there was extensive newspaper and national and local television coverage.

“This study tour was an excellent idea,” said Adolfo Gonzalez Rodriguez, an MP with Partido Popular, one of Spain’s largest political parties. “It has helped focus us on reproductive health more and better understand what is being discussed on this topic.”

Other participants echoed him. “This is an interesting way of doing things,” said Margarita Perez Herraiz, a Socialist Party MP and senior member of the parliamentary International Development Cooperation Commission. “We could look at shifting some work to Senegal or to reproductive health or both. The tour has significantly helped in framing these issues.”

The group also met with two Government ministers - the and the Minister of Family Affairs. The Minister of Health and Prevention highlighted "Bajeenu Gox", a community initiative – supported by the President - that fights against maternal mortality. They also met with the Minister of Family Affairs and discussed the implementation of existing laws as well as the lack of knowledge about the, especially among women.

The delegation also met with Senegalese Parliamentarians in the National Assembly, who called on them to increase ties between the two parliamentary groups and briefed them on issues of interest within the country, including the links between poverty and human rights, forced and early marriage, violence against women, a pending HIV law, public-private partnerships, remobilization around family planning, maternal mortality and clandestine immigration.

“There is no question the country faces major challenges but at the same time there are some extraordinary successes, for example the inclusion of gender equity in the Constitution and the adoption of a policy of free ceasareans, and some opportunities, like the large number of young people in the country. We must continue to advocate for reproductive health to make sure women and young people receive the information and services they need,” Ms Konate-Maiga said.

In addition to Mr Gonzalez and Ms Perez, participants included Aitor Esteban Bravo, MP with the Basque Nationalist Party and a spokesperson for the parliamentary International Development Cooperation Commission; Maria Elvira Roel Sanchez, Chief of the Office for Development Cooperation and Santiago A. Rodriguez Gil, Director General of Public Health, both with the Government of Cantabria; Santiago Alonso Pardo, Head of the International Cooperation Unit of the Government of the Canary Islands; and Casilda Velasco Juez and Emiliana Tapia, both of the Spanish NGO SIG.

Given the successful outcome of the visit, a second trip to Senegal has been planned for end April 2009 with representatives of the government and of the development cooperation agency of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, one of Spain’s 17 such communities. In contrast, this second visit will focus on the southern part of the country.