ProSanté II: Improving the quality and use of basic health services

Context

The Togolese health system is underfunded and there is a lack of suitable infrastructure and qualified staff. As a result, mothers have a 57-fold higher risk of dying in childbirth than in Germany. Factors such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have a further detrimental effect on healthcare.

Objective

The quality and use of health services, especially for sexual and reproductive health, have improved in Kara and Centrale regions.

Approach

To improve the quality of the health services, the project has developed a national quality management system in collaboration with its Togolese partners. More than 100 health facilities in Kara and Central regions are now implementing this approach. It focuses on:

• Capacity building: Medical staff are systematically trained in subjects such as quality management, reproductive health, sexual rights and infection prevention and control. In addition, the project supports basic training at schools for midwives and birth attendants.
• Communication: to encourage more people to use health services, information must be available. The project implements an extensive communication strategy based on change agents, mothers and fathers’ clubs or community leaders, as well as on mass communications at cultural events and film screenings, and via the social media.
• Steering capacities: To foster long-term change, the project supports the Health Ministry (MSHPAUS) in the organisation, design and implementation of its actions. In addition, the project supports the applications for climate funding to address the effects of climate change.
• Response: To contain the spread of COVID-19, the project is increasing the health system’s response capacity. To this end, it improves the diagnostic skills, supports communication campaigns and strives to achieve sufficient vaccination coverage.

Last update: February 2023