At the Global Outreach Center for Africa Development, we are committed to improving the health of people in Africa and around the world by partnering with communities, empowering them, and strengthening health systems. We believe in equipping communities with the knowledge, skills, and means to maintain their good health and break the cycle of poor health and poverty. Our project is structured around six priority areas, an agreement on health priorities and anticipated needs in the coming years. Our strategic priorities:

1. MATERNAL HEALTH
Africa represent 20% of births worldwide, but contributes to 40% of maternal deaths worldwide, many of which would also be preventable if appropriate and accessible health care were in place. “According to WHO, the greatest risk to the lives of adolescent girls and women in developing countries is pregnancy and childbirth. Too many young girls are becoming pregnant, which has devastating and long-term effects on their reproductive health. Increase the number of skilled midwives

2. CHILD HEALTH
Through the implementation of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), GOCADev supports a holistic approach to disease management where the overall health of the child is considered, addressing all causes of childhood illness. This approach emphasizes treatment, prevention, care, and home management of the sick child. As an integral part of good health, innovative interventions to improve nutrition and promote breastfeeding are also included in our approach to health.

3. FIGTH AGAINST DISEASES
Building capacity and increasing resources to address the continent’s most prevalent diseases: tuberculosis, malaria, cancer, and HIV, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, are the primary objectives of GOCADev’s work in disease prevention and treatment. Strengthening laboratory services to improve malaria, cancer, and tuberculosis diagnostics and improving access to HIV testing will greatly contribute to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

4. WATER AND SANITATION
Water is life. Without access to clean water, it is impossible to prevent disease and maintain good health. Water also plays an important economic role in the community. If a woman spends most of the day walking many kilometers to fetch clean water, she has little time for income-generating activities or to properly care for her family. GOCADev seeks to improve access to sustainable, safe and adequate water, as well as sanitation and hygiene practices. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases, such as dysentery, cholera, trachoma and typhoid, and to protect women and children from the epidemic of water, sanitation and sanitation-related diseases in our areas of operation.

5. CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES
Very few people in Africa have access to quality medical care. Africa is home to approximately 11% of the world’s population, yet only 3% of the world’s health workers address 24% of the global disease burden. Despite increased health spending in Africa, access to good quality care is limited because most funding has been directed toward treating specific diseases, rather than improving health systems and services as a whole. We focus on strengthening the capacity of national health systems, in partnership with ministries of health development agencies. We seek to build the capacity of trained health workers, improve access to quality primary, secondary, and tertiary health care, and strengthen laboratory services.

CONCLUSION
With a strategic plan, budget, governance structure, monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and brand, GOCADev will better coordinate its work to create lasting change in health in Africa. Given the scope of its work and mission, it is essential that we maintain careful financial and resource planning to implement key priorities, efficiently use donor funds, and preserve the organization’s overall financial stability. Building on a clear vision and strategy, GOCADev will increase its internal and external communications at the national and global levels. Improved communications and brand awareness will increase the organization’s visibility, support its advocacy and fundraising efforts, and help position GOCADev as an expert in women’s and children’s health.