Dakar — West African Ministers of Health Gather in Senegal to Shape New 2016-2020 Agenda for Expanded Voluntary Family Planning in the Region
At a convening of ministers of health from nine West African countries, the Ouagadougou Partnership -a regional partnership to expand voluntary family planning - will announce that 1.2 million additional women and girls are now using modern contraceptives compared to four years ago.
Francophone West Africa has historically lagged behind the rest of the world in family planning, maternal, newborn and child health indicators. Regionally, fewer than 16% of women and couples use a method of modern contraception. When women and couples have the education and tools they need to time and space their pregnancies, the health and social barriers that keep families trapped in poverty are diminished.
In 2011, nine country governments in the region and a core group of donors formed the Ouagadougou Partnership and set a bold goal to provide 1 million additional women with voluntary family planning by 2015, in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo. At the Ministerial Conference held 14-15 December 2015 in Dakar, Senegal, francophone West African Ministers of Health will convene to celebrate the achievement of this goal, and reaffirm their commitment to regional cooperation and support to accelerate family planning access for more women. Together with technical and financial partners, they will shape the milestones that will form the vision, mandate and governance of the Partnership for the 2016-2020 period. During this upcoming period, countries and partners will strive to accelerate gains and reach an additional 2 million users in the region. "The capacity of the Ouagadougou Partnership to attract and maintain partners over time indicates a high degree of sustained political commitment to family planning. With strong political will at the country level, an enhanced global partnership, sustained financing and early prioritization, I am certain we will undoubtedly reach our objective" asserted Pr. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Minister of Health and Social Action of Senegal.
As the Ouagadougou Partnership plays a crucial role in the region by helping to align family planning efforts with global initiatives, such as the new Sustainable Development Goals and Family Planning 2020, the Ministerial meeting will also deal with investments needed to overcome current bottlenecks and the production of a set of clear recommendations to further the Partnership's goal in the region.
What: Ouagadougou Partnership's Ministerial Meeting
When: 14-15 December 2015
Where: Novotel Hotel, Dakar, Senegal
