HP+ Mali Presents Declaration Supporting Essential Health Care to National Assembly
On December 28, 2018, HP+ Mali participated in the presentation of the Segou Declaration, in favor of the essential health care (EHC) package, to the president of Mali's National Assembly. HP+ Mali has been integral to this initiative, conducting a pivotal assessment on the funding of community health workers (CHWs) and leading ongoing advocacy in favor of these workers and the EHC package. HP+ provided technical and financial support for a preparatory workshop to draft the declaration and participated in its official presentation.
At the event, the president of the National Assembly welcomed an initiative promoting women and children's health, recognizing the role that CHWs have played in reducing malnutrition and managing cases of diarrhea and upper respiratory infections, and the important potential impact on development that these efforts have had. As a result of the presentation, the president encouraged stakeholders to continue to invest in CHWs to build knowledge and capacity, and urged parliamentarians to prioritize issues pertaining to EHC and CHWs in the upcoming legislative session. This public declaration of support is a critical step in promoting the passage of a community health law to regulate and protect CHWs and the EHC program, which HP+ has spearheaded since 2017.
