Annals of Health Law - Vol 23 Issue 1

MDG 5, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND MATERNAL HEALTH IN AFRICA actors, they are incapable of doing the heavy lifting alone. While undeniably responsible for setting the general tone, other stakeholders, particularly civil society organizations (CSOs), should assume an active role in the process, translating official objectives to tangible benefits for the people – sort of transforming themselves into foot soldiers, for the benefit of the population. The political leadership in Africa was right, not only in proclaiming that it is impossible for governments alone to shoulder the responsibility of assuring the health of the populations in their respective territories, but in also recognizing the need for partnership with other actors, including CSOs, to create an environment that is conducive to good health.154 The African Health Strategy defines CSOs as inclusive of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), faith based organizations (FBOs), and community based organizations (CBOs), as well as traditional leaders, traditional healers, and media organizations.155 In urging the integration of these bodies into national programs, the African Health Strategy recognizes that their roles are indispensable to actualizing the policy goals of the government.156 Any and all of these organizations have unique resources that can be harnessed and channeled toward the necessary changes needed to improve availability of reproductive services and promote overall health of women in the region.

One of the major obstacles to health sector development in Africa is government inability to elicit support of the general public for its programs such as uptake of coverage in social health insurance countries. It has been noted that “in order to secure an adequate level of support, the program in question would need to be packaged in such a way as to be ‘sellable’ to at least a substantial majority of those whose acceptance of the program is necessary for its success.”157 This is not a simple task. Most programs in the region suffer from what has been labeled as a “packaging” defect.158 The people are unconvinced as to their genuineness, usefulness or sustainability – skepticism based on the antecedents of most governments in the region, in terms of not delivering what they promised. Incompetence or misappropriation of funds as a reason underscoring the perennial failure to successfully implement announced programs is gradually becoming ingrained in the collective psyche. Seen this way, it becomes quite easy to

154. African Health Strategy: 2007 – 215, Third Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Health, Johannesburg, South Africa, 9 – 13 April 2007, CAMH/MIN/5(III), para. 44.