Posts or Comments 28 March 2024

Advocacy &Leadership &Women Bill Brieger | 08 Mar 2015 12:34 pm

Leading by Example: Senegal’s Minister of Health supports the “Zero Malaria! Count Me In!” campaign

Yacine Djibo, Founder & President of Speak Up Africa is helping focus International Women’s Day (March 8th) on efforts to protect women from malaria in Senegal. She is highlighting the commitments of 8 strong and beautiful women, in Senegal, that are dedicated to eliminating malaria in their country. These commitments are part of an inclusive mass communication campaign that aims to launch a national movement in favor of malaria elimination in Senegal: the “Zero Malaria! Count Me In” campaign

iwd_squareInternational Women’s Day, represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women all around the world. This year’s theme is “Empowering Women – Empowering Humanity: Picture it” envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education or fighting malaria. Below is the second feature on women fighting malaria.

Pr. Awa Marie Coll Seck, the former Executive Secretary of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership pursues her fight against malaria in her own country, Senegal, as Minister of Health. Known for her smooth diplomatic skills and experience in policy formulation, she leads an aggressive reform striving to eliminate all deaths due to malaria in Senegal.

Pr. Awa Marie Coll Seck, Minister of Health and Social Action, Senegal

Pr. Awa Marie Coll Seck, Minister of Health and Social Action, Senegal

As global leadership increasingly realizes that the international strategy demands a strong local response and the most active engagement of beneficiaries, Senegal’s Minister of Health walks the talk. The Zero Malaria! Count Me In! campaign aims at creating a movement around the importance of accountability and individual responsibility when it comes to putting an end to this preventable disease. Malaria elimination demands the coordinated efforts of all sectors of society.

As the Minister of Health pledges to build capacity within health facilities so that they are able to properly manage simple and severe cases of malaria, the Zero Malaria! Count Me In! campaign insists on the necessary parallel commitment that Senegalese people need to make in order for the country to reach its malaria elimination objective.

Since the past decade, the country has made tremendous progress and reduced malaria mortality by 62%. Over 6.5 million of insecticide treated mosquito nets were distributed throughout the country and lifesaving medicines are now available in public health facilities free of charge.

Women being the primary caretakers of their families, International Women Day is the perfect occasion to celebrate the leadership of Senegalese women throughout the country, without whom, malaria elimination could never become a reality.

Thank you Minister for leading by example and proving that actions speak louder than words.

Happy International Women Day to all!

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Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, Speak Up Africa is a creative health communications and advocacy organization dedicated to catalyzing African leadership, enabling policy change, securing resources and inspiring individual action for the most pressing issue affecting Africa’s future: child health.

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