International Symposium and Dakar Declaration

Senegal’s Minister of Health, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, is seen with Ministers of Health on the third day of the International Symposium hosted at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Dakar, Sen, on Friday, May 6, 2022.

The International Symposium and Dakar Declaration were an unique opportunity to:

  • Create a continental roadmap for improving investment in strengthening access to surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia care in Africa by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and, in particular, the goal on Health.
  • Promote and strengthen national surgical, anaesthetic, obstetric and nursing care systems and improve the surgical ecosystem as a neglected component of health systems.

The roadmap was the result of:

  • An assessment of the surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia care situation in Africa with the identification of gaps.
  • A list of priorities to be submitted to the African Heads of State, from an Action Plan focusing on concrete actions and investments [prioritized, streamlined, budgeted and achievable with the commitment of public and private partners] to change the situation for the achievement of the Health SDG N°3 by 2030.
  • A strategy for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Action Plan.
The Dakar Declaration draft is read allowed section by section for final remarks before Delegates and Ministers of Health on the third day of the International Symposium hosted at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Dakar, Sen, on Friday, May 6, 2022 © Mercy Ships

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