Table 1 Interventions specific to women who use drugs in Senegal
From: The gender factor in meeting the needs of women who use drugs in Senegal
Institutions providing support to PWUD | Intervention area | Objectives and targets of gender-based activities | Activities implemented | Duration of intervention | Implementation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Activities | Start | Duration | |||||
Facilities | Difficulties encountered | ||||||
CILD | Defines national policy to combat the abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs. Coordinates the actions of the various State services in Senegal in, among other things, the fight against drug addiction and illicit drug trafficking | To take the gender factor into account in the fight against drugs | Women’s Day (national drug awareness week) | 2019 | 1 day annually | Collaboration with stakeholders in the HIV response | COVID-19 pandemic. Technical terms are difficult to translate into Wolof. No access to WWUD to involve them in the organization of the activity |
CEPIAD | Offers integrated treatment for addictions (HR, Opioid Substitution Treatment, Management of comorbidities, Social activities) | To increase the attendance of women at CEPIAD To promote access and maintenance of care for women | Gynaecological consultations Gynaecological follow-up Women’s support groups Zero discrimination day for women who inject drugs | 2017 2016–2019 2019–2021 2020 | 3 months 3 years 2 years 1 week | Financial support from donors Support from Outreach peer workers for the mobilization of women | Sustaining activities at the end of projects Mobilizing and reaching women |
ANCS | Encourages, supports and strengthens community participation in public health activities for populations in general and in particular against HIV/AIDS. | Strengthening health systems through community empowerment (including women) | Establishment of a self-support group for drug users in Mbour. Strengthening the capacities of communities through the involvement of peer workers in projects (the PARECO Project) | 2017 2017–2020 | 3 years 3 years | Long experience with communities | Bringing women together. The transportation costs for women. Lack of female leadership. Funding. |
ENDA Santé | Supports populations - particularly vulnerable groups - in defending their rights to access to information and adequate health services. | Support for the establishment of a the first WWUD association in Senegal “Engaged women” | 2021 | 18 months | Financial support from OSIWA. Capitalizing on experience with other PWUD associations | Female leaders had expectations beyond the capacity building dimension proposed by the project to support the creation of the association (e.g., leaders expected remuneration/a salary) | |