Signing of a strategic partnership between SEN-CSU and ASPS: Towards the enrollment of private clinics to strengthen access to care

After concluding agreements with all public health facilities and nearly 350 private pharmacies across the country to facilitate access to care for beneficiaries of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Senegalese Agency for Universal Health Coverage (SEN-CSU) is taking a further step by enlisting the private health sector in this national initiative. To this end, the Director General of SEN-CSU, Dr. El Hadji Séga Guèye, and the President of the Alliance of the Private Health Sector (ASPS), Dr. Seynabou Bâ Diakhaté, proceeded this Wednesday morning, at the SEN-CSU headquarters, to sign a framework partnership agreement. This agreement will allow Universal Health Coverage (UHC) beneficiaries to access services offered by various components of the private healthcare sector, including clinics, medical practices, laboratories, medical imaging centers, pharmacies, specialized care facilities, telemedicine services, and other actors within the healthcare ecosystem. According to the Director General of SEN-CSU, this initiative is part of an ongoing dialogue and collaborative approach with private sector stakeholders. It notably includes the establishment of a joint monitoring mechanism designed to ensure regular consultation, identify potential challenges, and promote tailored solutions for the benefit of the population. “This framework agreement represents a major step in strengthening the partnerships essential to achieving the objectives of Universal Health Coverage. It paves the way for sustainable collaboration, which will be implemented through specific agreements adapted to the realities and capacities of each partner organization.” “We want to strengthen the synergies between the SEN-CSU and the private health sector to accelerate the achievement of our national ambition: to guarantee every resident of Senegal equitable access to quality care, without the risk of financial hardship due to illness,” said Dr. El Hadji Séga Guèye. For its part, the ASPS has committed to mobilizing and raising awareness among private health providers to encourage their effective participation in the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage Program. It also aims to facilitate relations between its members and the SEN-CSU (National Union of Health Professionals - Universal Health Coverage) for better integration of the private sector into the mechanisms of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). For the President of the ASPS (Association of Private Health Professionals), Dr. Seynabou Bâ Diakhaté, this agreement marks the beginning of a mutually beneficial strategic partnership, serving the sustainable improvement of access to healthcare. She believes that this agreement will contribute in particular to strengthening access to care for UHC beneficiaries, improving the quality and continuity of services, promoting better integration of private structures into the operational mechanisms of UHC, reducing territorial inequalities in access to care, promoting innovation and digital transformation in health services, and also meeting the high expectations of beneficiaries by further facilitating their access to private sector healthcare services. "The expertise, responsiveness, and quality of services offered by private structures are major assets for improving patient care and increasing their satisfaction," she concluded.