The Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, through the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Social Action and Solidarity through the National Solidarity Fund (FSN), has initiated, since October 22, in Matam, a caravan to strengthen the fight against malaria and breast and cervical cancer.

This social mobilization was launched by Ms. Maïmouna Dièye, Minister of Women, Social Action and Solidarity in the Matam region. It was coupled with the day of cash transfer operations to 2,161 vulnerable households of the Food Insecurity Response Project, under her ministry. It was in the presence of administrative and territorial authorities, partners and several community stakeholders.

During the day, Maïmouna Dièye stated that, like other localities in Senegal, the Matam region had gone through a difficult period marked by exceptional flooding of the Senegal River. These natural phenomena caused flooding and loss of property in several localities. "In terms of health, the region is also facing a high burden of malaria-related morbidity, as well as a worrying prevalence of breast and cervical cancers, pathologies whose late detection increases female mortality," said the Minister.

In view of this situation, the National Solidarity Fund, the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene through the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP) and its partners have joined forces to combine social assistance, health prevention and community mobilization around the same objective: to build a resilient and healthy Matam.

Noting the importance of the caravan, which is part of the ongoing efforts undertaken by the Senegalese government to achieve global public health goals, the Minister of Family, Social Action and Solidarity asked her sisters to go for screening and the girls to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer. In the process, she urged local authorities and monitoring committees to remain vigilant to ensure the smooth running of the program and the population to make it mandatory to use impregnated mosquito nets to combat malaria.

“Zero malaria, zero cancer wintering”

The mixed caravan, called "Zero Malaria, Zero Cancer Wintering," spearheaded by the National Malaria Control Program, in partnership with the National Solidarity Fund (FSN) and the Ministry of Family and Solidarity, will focus on malaria prevention, as well as breast and cervical cancer. On the ground, Professor Aliou Thiongane, coordinator of the PNLP, announced that for a week, the caravan will visit all the health posts in the Matam department. "Similar to what we did in Dakar, in collaboration with health stakeholders in the Matam department, we will tour villages and health posts, for interviews with the head nurses (ICP) and conduct prevention activities. They will be given impregnated mosquito nets to be distributed to the population, especially vulnerable people," he said.

Regarding cancers, "the caravan will visit the screening sites of Matam and Ourossogui, as well as the health center of Nabadji Civol where free screening sessions for breast and cervical cancer will be organized," declared Doctor Aliou Thiongane.

After the department of Matam and other departments identified by the harmonized framework, a consensual and rigorous analysis tool, which makes it possible to classify the severity of food and nutritional insecurity according to international standards, the caravan will end on October 26 in Salémata in the Kédougou region.