Luxembourg Pledges €2m to Support Health, Vocational Training in Senegal

Luxembourg's Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Franz Fayot, travelled to Senegal this week for a working visit.

The first part of the trip, which lasts from 2 to 6 November 2021, was dedicated to a high-level regional summit on HIV / AIDS in western and central Africa, organised by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS) in Dakar.

Minister Franz Fayot participated in a high-level panel on the fight against HIV / AIDS in the region, which also included Dr. Tedros, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. On this occasion, Minister Fayot reaffirmed Luxembourg's commitment to the fight against HIV / AIDS in the region, which is particularly affected by this health scourge.

The trip was also an opportunity to hold the 15th Partnership Commission between Senegal and Luxembourg, co-chaired by Minister Franz Fayot and his Senegalese counterpart, Amadou Hott, Minister of the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation. In particular, Minister Fayot announced additional support for the two main sectors of intervention of Luxembourg's development cooperation programme: health and vocational training. €1 million will be allocated to the national SAMU, as well as €500,000 for equipment at the Abass Ndao Hospital Center of Dakar. An additional €500,000 will be invested in the Lycée de Thiès, since once of the priorities of the Luxembourg development cooperation programme in Senegal is the promotion of youth employment.

Minister Fayot also had an interview with the President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, during which they highlighted the excellent relations between the two countries, which date back more than 30 years.

Moreover, the delegation travelled to Ziguinchor, in southern Senegal, for a visit to several projects involved in the fight against HIV / AIDS. These projects are being implemented by the non-profit organisation ENDA-Santé, a trusted partner of the Luxembourg development cooperation programme. Minister Fayot notably inaugurated the regional centre for the care of victims of sexual violence and had discussions with students from the University of Ziguinchor.

The visit will end with a trip to Saint-Louis, in northern Senegal, to visit the regional hospital, a vocational training centre and the Lycée Technique André Peytavin, all of which are flagship projects of the Luxembourg development cooperation programme, implemented by the LuxDev agency.