The Impact of Senegalese MCH Laws & Policies on Child Healt

This investigative Master's Thesis explores laws and policies pertaining to maternal and child health in Senegal and the impact of these high-level, structural instruments on the health, survival, and development of children. The purpose is to demonstrate the influence of an enabling legal and policy environment on the enactment of transformational change in MCH. The review of laws and policies serves to ascertain the Senegalese government's commitment to the cause of maternal and child health; however, the results studied are the outcomes that impact children most directly. The investigation showed a correlation between the presence of a robust legal framework protecting the health and well-being of women and children, translated into corresponding policies, and a relatively rapid pace of positive change in most of a selection of core MCH outcome indicators. These indicators focused on program delivery and performance as well as on health impact. The thesis concludes with policy recommendations: (1) to connect laws and policies to the everyday realities of populations; (2) to encourage community-owned responses; (3) to sensitize communities to invest in women's health (which invariably has an impact on the health of children); (4) to strengthen health systems to deliver on government commitments; (5) to build a more robust M&E infrastructure; (6) to earmark resources dedicated to equity in MCH health service delivery; and, (7) to conduct further research, led by Senegal but in collaboration with partners, on how to maximize the impact of public health law.