By SharaRosen
This morning I read a report of the UN Secretary-General’s speech to a recent informal meeting of the General Assembly and I am encouraged to see that “women’s empowerment, participation, education and health” remain a priority during this “year of opportunity” as Ban Ki-moon called 2015.
At the Sénégal Santé Mobile Foundation, we continue to be inspired by the words of Ban Ki-moon recorded in a World Health Organization report published in 2010:
“Every year, millions of women and children die from preventable causes. These are not just statistics. They are people with names and faces. Their suffering is unacceptable in the 21st century. Therefore, we must do more for the newborn who succumbs to infection for lack of a simple injection, and for the young boy who will never reach his full potential due to malnutrition. We must do more for the adolescent girl who faces an unwanted pregnancy, for the married woman who discovers she is infected with HIV, and for the mother experiencing childbirth complications” (our translation).
Indeed, again in 2015, the Foundation’s actions will target the improvement of health care for less well-served populations in Senegal thanks to initiatives tailored to us which will allow Senegalese women to experience pregnancy and childbirth in health and newborns to have a better chance of survival.
I am finishing my final preparations for my trip to Senegal during which, thanks to donations from our first Mardijedonne campaign and our 2014 end-of-year campaign, we will be able to seize two different opportunities.
First, we will equip three maternity wards in Thiès, Kaolack and Kaffrine, with our Mother-Child kit. This kit includes essential basic supplies, small equipment, medications and vitamins.In addition, knowing the benefits of prenatal monitoring, I obtained from our partner HealthPartners International of Canada the addition of urine tests for the detection of gestational diabetes and other conditions that require prenatal monitoring. tighter. It’s so simple for us to bring such diagnostic tools and the impact is so great! Access to these diagnostic tests increases the chances of Senegalese women to experience a healthy pregnancy and childbirth, which is the reason to be from the Senegal Santé Mobile Foundation!
Then, I will take advantage of this stay to meet women and women’s associations to tell them about SantéVie® Pads and encourage them to try them. These cotton sanitary napkins are reusable and are intended to be an ecological and economical option compared to disposable napkins which, too often, remain unaffordable for the majority of women. SantéVie® pads offer women freedom of movement during their periods because they are waterproof. Soft to the touch, they are pleasant to wear. Finally, they are washable and reusable, therefore economical too!
For our friends and supporters in Senegal and all those who would like to know us better, the Foundation is preparing a fundraising dinner which will take place in Dakar on February 6. More news soon!
To access the OMS report (in English only)