ASSK

ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES IN KINSHASA

The “Access to Health Services in Kinshasa” Project, also known as ASSK, aims to improve the health of women, children and adolescents living in the province of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In line with the efforts of the PASSKIN Project (2012-2017), this initiative aims, on one hand, to improve the quality and availability of health services, in particular sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, while ensuring gender equality and women’s and girl’s sexual and reproductive rights. On the other hand, it seeks to increase the utilisation of these services by women, children and adolescents.

These results will be achieved through key actions such as providing SRH training and support for health care workers, improving health infrastructures and equipment, and ensuring the availability of contraceptives and medicine in order to provide the full package of SRH services. These interventions will be combined to support and training activities for various actors (care providers, teachers, peer educators, community participation bodies and social leaders) on SRH awareness. The ASSK project will also contribute to strengthening governance by providing technical and financial support to the teams responsible for health services management.

In addition, ASSK rests on a gender equality strategy that focuses on improving the integration of gender issues in health services management structures, as well as promoting the active participation of women and girls to ensure these structures take into account their specific needs with regard to SRH.

Therefore, the Project is consistent with Canada’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy, which promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, in particular through interventions that support sexual and reproductive health and rights.