Sustainability
Promoting health in Togo
IMPROVED STRUCTURES WITHIN THE SYSTEM
Project: Promoting the health system
Country: Togo
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Term: 1994 to 2007
THEN: As one of the world’s poorest countries, Togo had a poor health system. Specialist medical knowledge and professional training were lacking, and there was no cooperation between those in charge of the health system. Women and children were particularly affected: half of all births were not attended by medically trained staff, and around one woman in 150 died during or shortly after childbirth, while one child in 20 did not live beyond the age of five. Togo also had high rates of HIV infection and malarial diseases, and cholera was a constant threat.
NOW: Increasing numbers of people are attending health centres, for example for prenatal check-ups. In the capital Lomé and the central region, which were the focus of the project implemented in partnership with the European Union, the incidence of HIV infection has fallen, as has child mortality. Across the country, maternal deaths are also down, with around one woman in 220 now dying during or shortly after childbirth. Over recent years, there have been no new cases of cholera in the central region: many families are now disinfecting their drinking water with chlorine from newly built production facilities. The structures within the health system have also improved, and three quarters of patients are very satisfied with the new provision. Combating malaria remains a major challenge.
NOW: Increasing numbers of people are attending health centres, for example for prenatal check-ups. In the capital Lomé and the central region, which were the focus of the project implemented in partnership with the European Union, the incidence of HIV infection has fallen, as has child mortality. Across the country, maternal deaths are also down, with around one woman in 220 now dying during or shortly after childbirth. Over recent years, there have been no new cases of cholera in the central region: many families are now disinfecting their drinking water with chlorine from newly built production facilities. The structures within the health system have also improved, and three quarters of patients are very satisfied with the new provision. Combating malaria remains a major challenge.
published in akzente 1/16