Accès aux soins de santé : Plan International Sénégal parraine près de 28 000 enfants vulnérables, en partenariat avec la SEN-CSU
Dr. Amadou Diaw, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Family, Social Action, and Solidarity, and Ms. Salimata Bocoum, Director of Plan International Senegal, presented Universal Health Coverage (UHC) cards to nearly 28,000 vulnerable children sponsored by Plan International. The official symbolic handover ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Open Day on Sponsorship and Resource Mobilization, held on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar.
Nearly 28,000 children from five regions of the country
During this meeting, organized by Plan International Senegal in partnership with the National Agency for Universal Health Coverage (SEN-CSU), 27,818 children from the regions of Dakar, Thiès, Louga, Saint-Louis, and Kaolack received their universal health coverage cards. This event represents a significant milestone in the joint commitment of the Senegalese government and its partners to protecting the most vulnerable children. The meeting reflects a shared desire to guarantee these children better access to healthcare by removing the financial barriers that can hinder their families.
The event, themed "Sponsorship and strategic partnerships: levers for sustainably financing children's rights", was also a great opportunity to highlight the importance of sponsorship and resource mobilization as essential levers for sustainably financing children's rights.
"Sponsorship transforms a family, a community, and sometimes even the future of an entire generation."
In her welcoming remarks, the Director of Plan International Senegal emphasized the importance of sponsorship. “Dear children, dear young people, today is first and foremost your day. You are at the heart of everything we do at Plan International. Everything that will be presented today—the projects, the partners, the results, the commitments—it all starts with you. Because behind every decision we make, there is a single objective: to empower you to learn, to lead, to decide, and to thrive,” stressed Ms. Salimata Bocoum.
For her, a child's potential never depends on where they are born, their gender, or their social conditions; it depends on the opportunities we collectively choose to offer them.
In this regard, the director of Plan International Senegal argues that "sponsorship does not only transform the life of a child. It transforms a family, a community and sometimes even the future of an entire generation."
She adds that Plan International Senegal's ambition is for more than 4 million children, adolescent girls and young women, in the most vulnerable areas of the country and in all their diversity, to become agents of change capable of overcoming the challenges that affect their lives and that are related to education, health and protection.
"Our new country strategy 2026-2030 carries this same ambition, however it can only become a reality if we continue to build strong partnerships and mobilize the necessary investments," said Ms. Salimata Bocoum at the outset.
Financial and technical partners, organizations and local authorities are invited to take ownership of this project and follow in the footsteps of Plan International
The Secretary General of the Senegalese Agency for Universal Health Coverage (SEN-CSU), Mr. Matar Traoré, representing the Director General of SEN-CSU who was unable to attend, reassured everyone that SEN-CSU was there for them. "What I can tell you is that SEN-CSU is on your side, SEN-CSU is for families, SEN-CSU is for children, SEN-CSU is for women, and SEN-CSU is simply for everyone," he emphasized.
He adds: “This is a program that the State has put in place. It is a program that is underway, a mechanism is in place for all social strata. And thank you to Plan International for understanding this. Through you, we call on all financial and technical partners, as well as organizations and local authorities, to take ownership of this project and partner with SEN-CSU to enroll as many people as possible.”
"Sponsorship is not just a funding mechanism; it is also and above all a powerful lever for human development, social justice, and investment in the future."
Presiding over the meeting on behalf of Minister Marie Angélique Mame Selbé Diouf, Dr. Amadou Diaw stated that this event highlights a model of solidarity whose ultimate goal is to profoundly transform the lives of thousands of children and families in our country. According to him, the theme of this day reminds them of a fundamental truth: that sponsorship is not merely a funding mechanism, but also, and above all, a powerful lever for human development, social justice, and investment in the future.
“Through sponsorship, children gain access to school, girls pursue their studies, communities strengthen their resilience, young people develop their leadership, and families regain hope. The testimonies, exhibitions, and projects presented today powerfully illustrate that behind every investment made are lives transformed and opportunities created,” said Dr. Amadou Diaw.
The Minister's representative also commended, on behalf of the Government, the constant commitment of Plan International Senegal, which for several decades has supported the country in promoting children's rights, education, health, protection, youth leadership, girls' empowerment, and community development.
