HIGHLIGHTS
- Senegal faces health systems challenges to achieving Universal Health Coverage
- HSS+ works with the government of Senegal to strengthen the health system
- The project has helped establish over 1,400 health development committees.
The Challenge
Senegal has made significant improvements in infant and maternal mortality and contraceptive prevalence rates, and the country benefits from high level political commitment to universal health coverage (UHC). However, the government must now scale up key reforms and ensure that current policies and strategies are sustained on the ground in order to maintain momentum towards achieving UHC. The Health System Strengthening Plus (HSS+) project is providing technical and financial assistance to help achieve the government of Senegal’s UHC strategy.
The Approach
HSS+ is working with Senegal’s Ministry of Health, the Universal Health Coverage Agency, and six medical regions in the following four key areas:
- Health governance and financing
- Community engagement in health system management
- Health information systems
- Direct financing to health regions
The Results
Health financing. We’ve supported the development of key sector strategies such as the National Health Development Plan, Community Health Strategy and the health financing strategy. HSS+ technical assistance is strengthening 380 community health insurance schemes so that they can better serve their members. In the intervention regions, these community health insurance schemes, or mutuelles, are providing households with financial protection when they seek health services.
Community engagement. We’ve helped establish 1,478 health development committees and other platforms, so that community members can be more involved in identifying challenges and solutions to their local health problems. The health development committees have successfully negotiated with local authorities, mayors and other local actors to allocate resources to purchase new equipment and hire health workers.
COVID response. The project is supporting the Ministry with its web-based geographic information system (GIS), including designing the tool’s dashboard, and coaching districts and regions on how accurate data can help improve decision-making. This data enables the near real-time allocation of financial and human resources for health, equipment and supplies.