Senegal – Mobilising society to support the child’s first 1,000 days

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Importance of the first 1,000 days

The first 1,000 days – from conception to the end of the child’s second year of life – are vital to establishing good health and optimal physical and intellectual development. However, families, health workers and policymakers are not always sufficiently informed about this critical period.

Institutions: Cheikh Anta Diop University

Issues in Senegal

In Senegal, only 41% of babies are exclusively breastfed at 6 months of age, and only 10% of children aged 6-23 months have a minimum acceptable dietary intake (DHS 2019), demonstrating the need for interventions to support children and families during the first 1,000 days.

Furthermore, some harmful practices persist, such as keeping the baby indoors during the first week of life; applying butter, cow dung and other substances on the umbilical cord; or giving foods other than breastmilk very soon after birth.

Resources

Senegal Depliant

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Senegal Formation Des Acteurs Communautaires – Module 1

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Senegal Formation Des Acteurs Communautaires – Module 2

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A multi-pronged intervention

The lack of attention to the first 1,000 days in Senegal was addressed by a group led by Professor Saliou Diouf, then director of the Institute of Social Paediatrics at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD).

His team developed a multi-pronged intervention to sensitise families, caregivers, health workers and policymakers on the benefits of providing and prioritising care during the first 1,000 days.

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Participants in a training session for health workers on the first 1,000 days

1. Mapping Needs

The group approached the project initially by diagnosing and identifying the issues around child health and well-being in Senegal, mapping relevant indicators (pregnancy-related, neonatal, vaccines, nutrition, disease prevalence and mortality) to highlight the needs.

This exercise revealed disparities in child health outcomes in rural versus urban areas, and pointed towards the need to train community health workers, social workers, families and key members of the community.

2. Mobilising broad support

Children’s health and development is the concern of all areas of government. Prof. Diouf’s team established a working group composed of university lecturers and professors, members of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women and Family affairs, and early education staff.

They mobilised attention by organising a major national awareness day on the first 1,000 days, targeting key members of communities like imams and leveraging Senegal’s radio and television stations and main news website to get the word out.

3. Training health workers and families

To provide caregivers, health workers and families with the tools and training needed to provide optimal care for children, two training modules were developed to increase knowledge on the importance of using the first 1,000 days as an opportunity to positively impact children’s health and well-being.

Trainings sessions were carried out across five locations across Senegal: Dakar city, two locations on the outskirts of Dakar, and in Khombole and Mbour. During these training sessions, organisers directly connected with families and community health workers, giving them a chance to ask questions and learn more about the benefits about prioritising early childhood care.

Key Messages

A key message for policymakers is that Investments in the first 1,000 days of life are among the most economically advantageous that a government can make.

In Senegal, it was calculated that 1,000 CFA Francs invested in an early childhood programme yielded between 4,000 and 9,000 CFA – with the greatest gains coming from the earliest interventions.

At the same time, parents’ role is critical: love Is the most important thing they can offer their children. Loving care, good nutrition and stimulation during the first 1,000 days sets children up for better school performance, better health as an adult and a prosperous future.

Next Steps

To build on the work already completed, the Senegal team continues to advocate to government officials to develop policies centred around the first 1,000 days by focusing on the positive returns on this type of investment. Future work will develop outreach materials, conduct trainings for key stakeholders, and create a Senegalese national observatory on the first 1,000 days.
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