The Government of Senegal has worked to increase the availability, access and information about family planning to its people. So far, these efforts have led to a decline in the country's fertility rate, a substantial increase in urban and rural contraceptive prevalence rates, and a considerable expansion of family planning services to those individuals with unmet needs.
However, despite the gain registered there are several problems in the current health system. Populations in hard-to-reach areas have barely begun to demand services. One such area is Toubab Dialaw a suburb of Dakar.
Access to maternal health has been a major cause of unprecedented maternal deaths in Toubab Dialaw and its suburbs in recent years.
But this nightmare will soon come to end because a Euros 35,000 maternity project for their community which is funded by the Association of Pharmacists and an association called INFA in Munchen Germany.


According to Mactar Sonko, one of the funding partners of the project said many people in the rural areas hardly have access to facilities, saying that this he decided to come up with project to reduce maternal deaths.

He said the maternity project is funded to the tune of Euros £31,000, adding that he will work with partners to raise money oprovide shelter and scholarship for needy students and families with a view improve their living conditions

Mr. Sonko who gave a brief description of how the health post will look like, revealed that the maternity is consisting of a delivery room, rest room, toilets, offices and pharmacy. He said they will also build living for the Nurse in charge and two of her assistants, ''This will help women in labor to have easy access to healthcare on time, as well as reduce the hight rate of infant mortality'' Mr. Sonko he stated.
Sustainability
When asked how he intend to work with the benefiries to ensure that the project is sustainable.
Mr Sonko said he is trying trying to mobilize a group of people young who will be task with the responsibility of supervising the daily activities in the health post, he said he has realize that many projects in Senegal due to lack of proper management of projects and financial scam.
Mam Mbai Cisse, the Nurse in charge of the old maternity who ahgs been working with in the health sector for the past 24 years said the peroject couldn't have come at better time than this. He says ''Here if one is in labour she must go to neighboring villages like Njangal or Yen and the population in this area is growing and it will be increasing because more people are coming from Dakar are resettling here. This is why the project is important; we are very delighted.

Access to transport.
According Mr Ceesay women in labour used to have problems of access to transportation to go to a neighboring village called Yen, adding that if the health center is ready the majority of women in labour will be coming from Njangal. ''The timing is very good and I believe that when the building is finish, we will be attending to all the women that will be delivering their babies in this area,'' he stated.

A young lady who identified herself as Mam Ndumbeh expressed delight at the new maternity project, adding that many women have faced problems during labour due to lack of access to transport. She further explained that ''Now we can avoid the problem we used to face if we have a health centre at our door steps. I am delighted because if we have it here with good nurse it will ease the burden of travelling to Njangal or Yen, so we are delighted.''

Dr Papa Ndiaye a pharmacist in Toubab Dialaw observed that the problem of maternal health is widespread in Senegal. He says that he is ready to support partners involve, adding that the project will help women and children a great deal.
Dr Ndiaye called on all stakeholders to take ownership of the project and avoid its failure.
Adama Mbengue, a retired traditional birth attendant recalled how children used to die in the community due to the lack of means of transportation. She revealed that “Before this village used to have a lot of health difficulties, every day Week we bury two, three up to four children because there was no help.