On September 6th
2013, I was invited by the Director of Programming and Training and my APCD to
the USAID conference on the National Campaign of family planning in King Fahd
Palace. The following important members who attended were: Madame Marieme Sall,
The First Lady of the Republic of Senegal, and Professor Awa Marie Coll Seck,
the Minister of Health and Social Action.
The event took
place from 9am to 1pm. The main topic was on the USAID new family planning
strategy MOYTOU NEF (Birth Spacing in wolof) incorporating religious leaders in
families’ decision to use family planning. One of their many objectives is to
bridge the gap between men and women in communicating these messages.
They showed a
movie on the application of these initiatives in various communities. This
conference also served as an added resource for my U.S. Student Fulbright
application which I sent a few months after. They also explained the concept of
the program and their employment of numerous social media to spread the FP
message including the nouveau spot TV (FR/Wolof). These remarks were
reemphasized by an Imam, a religious leader in the Islamic community and a skit
performed by Collectif Vendredi SLAM and Pape & Cheikh.
The pamphlets
given presented the benefits of family planning to women, men and adolescents.
It also showed different contraceptive methods separated by long term, short
term or permanent effects including male and female condoms, birth control pills,
emergency contraceptive pills, injectables, abstinence, methode d’ Allaitement
Maternel et d’Amenorrhee (MAMA), the IUD, implants, vasectomy, la ligature des
trompes, and the cycle beads.
USAID Senegal’s
objective is to use evidence-based research as sources for the health
determinants of the campaigns. They want to engage administrative authorities
to reduce neonatal and maternal mortality by the year 2015. They have also
expressed advocating Islam’s consent of Family planning, reinforcing
conversations in couples, and to increase by 10% the men who confirm that Islam
accepts family planning in terms of birth spacing.
Some of the
campaigns’ partisans and donors include the Hewlett Foundation, la Cooperation
Luxembourgeoise, GIZ, The World Bank, the Global Fund, The Gates Foundation,
Ministere de la Sante et de l’Action Sociale (MSAS), DSRSE, SNEIPS, UNFPA,
ADEMAS, Abt, Child Fund Senegal, fhi360, IntraHealth International, CEFOREP,
USAID, Organisation Mondiale de la Sante, ANIIDES, ANSFES, ASGO, Issu, Marie
Stopes International, Population Council, and Association Senegalaise pour le
Bien-Etre Familial.
As outlined by
the pamphlet, family planning allows families to:
·
To be in good
health
·
To prevent or
treat STIs
·
To find
solutions to sterility
·
To better
prepare the future of children
·
To foster growth
and development
·
To give a
better education to children
·
To improve the
quality of life of a community
Family planning allows
adolescents/youths to:
·
To have information,
advice and access to health services
·
To avoid unwanted
pregnancies
·
To prevent or
take in charge STIs and HIV
·
To better
prepare their future
·
To better
preserve their health
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