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Students
smile in front of their newly
restored and refurbished school
room in Sinkat locality (photo
credit: Ariel Rubin UNDP) |
In
the remote village of Diemoyo of
Red Sea State in Eastern Sudan,
a region suffering from some of
the lowest development indicators
in the country, the once high rate
of child and maternal mortality
has recently been reduced.
The challenges for reducing maternity
and child mortality are manifold
in Sudan, including limited access
to health care especially in remote
areas, limited capacity and shortage
of qualified healthcare workers,
low utilization of available health
services, and limited availability
of specialized care and equipment.
Strengthening the provision of health
services has been identified by
the population of Diemoyo as one
of the key development priorities.
The challenges for reducing maternity
and child mortality are manifold
in Sudan, including limited access
to health care especially in remote
areas, limited capacity and shortage
of qualified healthcare workers,
low utilization of available health
services, and limited availability
of specialized care and equipment.
Strengthening the provision of health
services has been identified by
the population of Diemoyo as one
of the key development priorities.
"Previously it was a multi-tasking
problem if someone gets sick. We
have to travel by buses more than
200 km to reach the nearest hospital.
A common fever could turn into a
serious problem, especially if the
men are busy and cannot afford a
day off from work", remarked Hala
Mahmoud of Diemoyo. "Now, we have
so many benefits with the presence
of this health clinic at walking
distance and we can get medical
treatment, vaccination for dangerous
diseases and even the pregnant women
are getting good care and proper
information for their pregnancy!"
The medical center has been constructed
with support received from the Local
Development Fund (LDF) of Red Sea
State. The LDF is an innovative
initiative launched in 2010 by UNDP
and the government of Red Sea State
with the support of the Danish Government.
It is a fund that provides grants
to localities to support small-scale
interventions that aim at improving
the delivery of basic services and
livelihoods for the poor and marginalized
at the local level.
The LDF is part of UNDP's strategy
to strengthen the overall efficiency,
transparency and accountability
of local government service-delivery
while at the same time promoting
participatory assessments and prioritization
of development needs at the community
level that will be integrated in
the broader strategic planning processes
at state and locality level. It
complements state government transfers
to localities which mainly focus
on fixed and recurring costs, leaving
only small fund available for development
interventions.
Projects are implemented in all
ten localities of Red Sea State
benefitting over 630,000 citizens
across the state. Projects to date
have included the construction of
water reservoirs, health centers,
school restoration, income-generating
projects for women, well digging
and the establishment fish drying
facilities. The LDF is more than
just a tool to provide finance basic
service delivery projects on the
ground. It transforms the strategic
planning and budgeting system at
state and locality level, supporting
development interventions, which
have been identified and prioritized
by the communities themselves. The
LDF system ensured a voice for women
and other disadvantaged groups in
local public decision-making and
local government accountability
towards their citizens.
"In the past, the plans were developed
top-down, now the plans are developed
from the bottom up." says Hassan
Ahmed Mohamed, who is the Head of
Planning & Implementation Unit of
Sinkat Locality, where three LDF
projects are being implemented,
including the construction of primary
school classrooms and water wells,
as well as the installation of a
solar water pumping system in the
remote village of Earba, which does
not have an alternative energy system.
The importance of the fund has been
recognized by the state government
as well. Port Sudan's Minister of
Finance, Salah Kona, noted that
the Governor and State Ministry
of Finance are committed to continue
support to these projects to ensure
their sustainability and look forward
to a continued partnership with
UNDP to expand the LDF mechanism
and strengthen local basic service
delivery across the state.
The project received support from
the Government of Denmark and is
part of UNDP's Strategic Partnership
Framework for Governance and Rule
of Law, co-financing partnership
between UNDP, the Government of
Sudan, the Government of the Netherlands,
the UK Department for International
Development (DFID), the Government
of Sweden and the Government of
Norway.
To see latest video showcasing LDF
projects in East Sudan, click: http://youtu.be/nnYBTg4-WDo
For more photos of LDF projects:
http://flic.kr/p/da6vE5
For
more information, please contact:
Surayo Buzurukova, Regional Coordinator
for Eastern Region/Head of Sub-Office
a.i surayo.buzurukova@undp.org
http://www.sd.undp.org/ar%20stories/2012/Ar-Story006.pdf
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