Maternal mortality, nutrition, HPV: when advocacy by professionals begins to change practices

Carbetocin for postpartum hemorrhage in Burkina Faso, micronutrients and midwife recruitment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and HPV vaccination in Senegal. For nearly four years, advocacy efforts by six professional health associations have begun to produce concrete changes in these three countries.

In Burkina Faso, the Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians has been a leading force in the fight against maternal mortality. The work carried out with ENDA Santé has contributed to advancing the use of carbetocin and the objective assessment of blood loss in healthcare facilities.

“With ENDA, we have learned to make effective advocacy, particularly against maternal mortality,” testifies Professor Adama Ouattara, Vice-President in charge of Research and Innovation of the Burkinabe society.

In the DRC, advocacy efforts have notably supported the inclusion of micronutrient supplements on the list of essential medicines, with an announced coverage of over one million women. A commission on the recruitment of midwives has also been established, addressing the challenge of human resources in healthcare.

In Senegal, the fight continues, particularly around vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV). Progress has been made, but vaccination coverage remains a challenge. Among the issues fueling advocacy is the question of a single dose. "The issue of a single dose, whether or not to adapt it," is one of the topics that still needs to be addressed, explains Dr. Papa Djibril Ndoye, Deputy Director of ENDA Santé.

These experiences also highlight the limitations of advocacy, which cannot stop at initial progress. The challenge now is to transform these gains into lasting change and ensure that innovations truly benefit the population.

According to the executive director of ENDA Santé, they must be "integrated into policies, funded, and above all accessible to the populations who need them most."

From advocacy to decision, then from decision to practice: after four years of work, the associations now want to consolidate these advances and make them sustainable.