Date: 2017-08-02 08:02:21 ID: 1682
Similar to other WAHO on-going projects, whose successful implementation in beneficiary countries he defends, Director General WAHO, leading a delegation of his institution, undertook a working mission to Niamey, Niger, from 27 to 29 July 2017, to present the Demography, Sexual and Reproductive Health (DEMSAN) programme to various policymakers and country implementing stakeholders.
The mission of the Director General was marked by several high level meetings, including those with the Prime Minister, the Minister Public Health, the Minister for population, the Vice Chancellor of Abdou Moumouni University, the Laboratory for the Study and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Development (LASDEL) and Civil Society Organisations (CSO).
During the working session, the Minister of public health, the Director General WAHO and his entourage presented in detail the DEMSAN project and appealed for support from the Department of Public Health for the implementation of the activities of the said programme in Niger. Discussions with the staff of the Ministry of Public Health focused on the presentation of the entire DEMSAN programme. The Programme Coordinator made the presentation. It was an opportunity for her and her two colleagues, one in charge of the right to health and the other demography and research, to explain the objectives of the programme, describe its components, present the activities to be implemented in Niger, and appeal for the commitment of the staff of the Department of Public Health towards the implementation of the various activities.
At the office of the Prime Minister of Niger, Dr Xavier CRESPIN presented the DEMSAN programme and appealed for his support as well as that of his Government for its implementation. He also took the opportunity to congratulate him on the progress made in the reduction of infant mortality in Niger and advocated for the reduction of maternal mortality currently classified among the highest recorded in the ECOWAS region.
The Prime Minister of Niger, very sensitive to the issues raised, assured the Director General of WAHO of his support and that of the Government of Niger towards the successful implementation of the activities of the DEMSAN programme, whose objective among others, is to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and thereby foster the socio-economic development of the country.
The courtesy call of the Director General of WAHO on the Minister in charge of Population of Niger was an opportunity to provide more information on the DEMSAN project, which is implemented to complement the Regional Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention Programme in the ECOWAS region and the SWEDD project. During the discussions, the Minister in charge of population expressed the wish that the DEMSAN project would be extended to the towns of Diffa and Agadez in addition to Niamey.
At the office of the Vice Chancellor of the Abdou Moumouni University, the issue of the implementation of the DEMSAN project came up, as well as that of cooperation between WAHO and Abdou Moumouni University in the fields of training and research. WAHO has a vision, with regard to training, to develop and jointly sign (among Abdou Moumouni University, the University of Ouaga II, the University for Legal Studies of BAMAKO and WAHO), a degree-awarding continuous training programme on reproductive health rights.
WAHO intends to use the format adopted by the University of Ouaga II in Burkina Faso, as a basis for working with the other partner Universities to adapt teaching to the various sociocultural contexts. The procedure received a favourable response from the Management of the Abdou Moumouni University, which indicated its readiness to work with the WAHO DEMSAN team on the training modules as well as on the content of the agreement between WAHO and Abdou Moumouni University. With regard to research, there was the issue of describing the research component of DEMSAN, namely to undertake in Niger an overview of demand-driven sexual and reproductive health research programmes, the launch of a call for research projects, the recruitment of the research officer and the rollout of an overview of legislations, policies and strategies in sexual and reproductive health. The DEMSAN team took the opportunity to request for support from the Management of Abdou Moumouni University to carry out the overview in the faculties, institutes, and departments of the University.
During a dinner offered by the Laboratory for the Study and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Developmental (LASDEL), the DG of WAHO explained the components of the DEMSAN programme, particularly the research component for which the contribution of researchers is expected. With the availability and support LASDEL the issue then was to undertake an overview of the research programmes on reproductive health, which the DEMSAN team intends to carry out in August in Niger.
Discussions with Civil Society Organisations (SCO) were marked by a presentation by the Programme Coordinator, Dr Fatima KANDINE TIDIANI on the entire DEMSAN programme. Her two colleagues, Dr Ibrahim TALL and Dr Aristide Romaric BADO, respectively in charge of health rights and demography and research, accompanied her. On the occasion, detailed information was provided on the component on Health rights and the research component of the programme as well as on the FONDEMSAN, the objectives of which are: 
to foster the emergence of innovative projects undertaken by CSOs as a complement to strengthening service provision; to promote collaboration among SCO experts, youth and women’s movements; to support the structuring of civil society in terms of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR);
The issues to which the WAHO team provided responses where about procedures, formats and deadlines for submission. The SCOs present committed themselves to regularly consulting the WAHO website to promptly obtained the necessary information on the deadlines for submission and to devote themselves, together with the Ministry of public health, to the implementation of the activities of the DEMSAN project.
