for the setting up of counselling centres for adolescents, are among the list of initiatives
aiming at providing teenagers with social assistance services and to help them in the
process of re-adaptation and integration.
Despite all efforts deployed to improve the health situation of mothers and children, there
are still some lingering obstacles, including:
- the still high rate of birth-related deaths (782 women out of 100 00 live births as
against 669 out of 100 000 live births in 2004) as well as home deliveries (37.3%);
- insufficient funding to cater for the substantial needs resulting from the magnitude of
the problem; the poor health system compounded by insufficient trained staff;
- the low number of children actually sleeping under ITNs (28.2%), making malaria the
main cause of death and morbidity in children under age five;
- the resurgence of epidemics (measles and poliomyelitis) related to the fact that 4.5%
of children aged between 11 and 23 months do not receive any vaccines;
- activities to control malnutrition are mainly carried out by specific programmes of the
Ministry of Health (MINSANTE) and there are not enough trained professionals in the
domain;
- the poor appropriation by the communities of the importance of immunisation and the
low immunisation coverage of very remote areas;
- insufficient financial and human resources.
To provide solutions to these concerns, the Government plans to:
- introduce in 2015, a vaccine against meningitis A; enhance the routine EPI; reinforce
lobbying before opinion leaders; pursue mass awareness-raising campaigns;
- enhance LLIN distribution campaigns in 2015;
- build the institutional capacities of the National Programme to Control Maternal,
Neonatal and Infant Mortality;
- draw up a new strategy to curb maternal, neonatal and infant mortality (2013–2020);
- carry out, with the support of technical and financial partners, investments in the
domain of health, paying particular attention to youths and women as well as to the
guidance and care of vulnerable social groups;
- pursue the setting up of friendly centres;
- validate the National Strategy Paper on Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) and
intensify the training of ARH care workers.
VII. FAMILY ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE CHILD (Art. 18, 20 and
24)
a) Protection of the Family (Art. 18)
In accordance with the provisions of the ACRWC (Art. 18), the Government, with the
support of Technical and Financial Partners and Civil Society Organisations, shall develop
a programme for pre-marital, matrimonial and family education that takes into
consideration the specific needs of families in the light of social concerns. As such,
various forms of assistance are provided to limited-income families to send their children
to school, develop income-generating activities, improve the production capacities of poor
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