In the framework of the implementation of the 7th Cooperation programme between the Malagasy Government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for the period 2015-2019, the objective of which is to "reduce poverty by targeting women, young people and adolescents and more particularly those living in rural and remote areas including through the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality", UNFPA Madagascar continues to reaffirm its commitment to support the Malagasy state. To be closer to the benefits UNFPA decided to adopt an integrated approach at the level of the Priority Regions of Concentration. To this end, a regional programming workshop in the Androy region, one of the priority regions of its interventions, was held from 29 February to 1 March in Ambovombe.
This workshop was conducted jointly with the Ministry of Economy and Planning as a governmental coordinating body, ensuring comprehensive and multisectoral coordination of development partnerships with all United Nations agencies, and as a department for national, regional and sectoral development planning. The objective of the workshop was to develop an action plan for 2015-2016, responding to the priority needs of the Androy region, which would contribute to accelerating the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality.
Specifically, the workshop aimed to bringing together local actors and stakeholders in the Androy Region for better ownership of the programme. At the end, the participants were able to identify and develop together appropriate strategies and an action plan for 2016 in order to implement a "high-impact integrated response package" in the target districts. This package of interventions (i) includes all key components of the programme, such as Reproductive Health, STI/HIV, Gender-Based Violence, Adolescents and Youth and the Population and Development Component, and (ii) regional specificities and existing initiatives and projects for better synergy and complementarity of interventions. In the first phase, for the Androy Region, UNFPA has prioritized 2 districts, namely Ambovombe and Tsihombe.
The workshop has seen the active participation of technicians from the ministerial departments concerned, among others, the Ministries of Economy and Planning, Public Health, Youth and Sports and Population and Social Protection, as well as local actors including regional officials and national actors as well as the team and staff of the national and regional office of UNFPA. Representatives from other technical and financial partners such as WFP, PAUSENS, Médecins Sans Frontières, etc. have also been present to ensure the harmonisation, synergy and complementarity of their interventions in the field.
