On March 1, MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience launched in Dosso, Niger in collaboration with the Niger Ministry of Public Health, Population, and Social Affairs and USAID/Niger. MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience will work in Niger with national and regional partners in clinical and outreach programming for maternal, newborn, and child health voluntary family planning and reproductive health, immunization, and nutrition.

The launch event was led by Mahamidou Illo, Director of Communications for the Ministry of Health. He was joined by the Minister of Health, Dr. Idi Illiassou Mainassara; USAID/Niger Mission Director, Jo Lesser-Oltheten; the governor of the region of Dosso, Albachir Aboubacar; other political leaders; and implementing partners from several local and global agencies. MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience Project Director Dr. George Hanna and the Niger Chief of Party for the project, Dr. Boucar Amsagana, welcome attendees, gave remarks, and responded to questions from attendees.

“This MOMENTUM project fits perfectly with Niger’s health priorities, as defined in our 2021-2025 Health Development Plan,” said Dr. Mainassara. “It also provides innovations by bringing together the health sector with the non-health sector, such as through the effective commitment of local authorities, elected officials, traditional and religious leaders, community associations, and others. It will certainly contribute to the improvement of our indicators, but above all, it will lay the groundwork for a resilient and sustainable system.”

The project will be active in two regions in western Niger–Dosso and Tahoua. Governor Aboubacar noted that, “The health situation in [Dosso] requires the active participation of all health and non-health actors to achieve the objectives set by health officials. This project gives us the opportunity to consolidate our commitments. Together we work for the promotion of integrated health resilience in order to contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Niger.”

MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience is expected to run in Niger until 2025. The project joins two other members of the MOMENTUM suite of awards in Niger, MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery and MOMENTUM Routine Immunization and Transformation and Equity. To learn more about their work, visit our Niger webpage.