1. Bajenu Gox: A Community Approach to Maternal and Child Health in Senegal (IMCHA)

This project is examining how to strengthen the Bajenu Gox initiative's contribution to improving maternal and child health across Senegal. Former President Abdoulye Wade founded this community-based health worker program to train women to be leaders in reproductive health. Based on the Wolof term for godmother, the Bajenu Gox Initiative provides support to women during the prenatal, delivery, and post-natal periods. It also provides advice about caring for children under five.

This project aims to improve the Bajenu Gox Initiative's long-term stability at the community level and establish systems that will allow the program to scale up nationally.

Researchers are using a community development approach based on a gender and social equity perspective to examine how to enhance the initiative's contribution. The research is structured in two phases:
-Literature searches on holistic community-based maternal and child health approaches that have been tested in Senegal and other African countries, and possibly in Canada -Intervention research based on the findings in this literature

PROJECT LEADER
Boubacar Camara

INSTITUTION
Action et Developpement

INSTITUTION WEBSITE
http://www.acdev-int.org

TOTAL FUNDING
CA$ 852,400