CAMSAO Annual Meeting 2025: Regional Strategies to Ensure the Continuity of Public Health Actions

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Extract from the article: The West Africa Social Marketing Agencies Convergence Network (CAMSAO) opened its annual meeting on December 9 in Lomé, under the theme: “Towards Sustainable Social Marketing in West Africa: Innovative Strategies for Resource Mobilization and...

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The West Africa Social Marketing Agencies Convergence Network (CAMSAO) opened its annual meeting on December 9 in Lomé, under the theme: “Towards Sustainable Social Marketing in West Africa: Innovative Strategies for Resource Mobilization and Institutional Strengthening.”

Over four days, social marketing actors will reflect together on new approaches needed to ensure the continuity of interventions in a context marked by shrinking international funding. The meeting also provides the opportunity to hold the network’s 2025 Ordinary General Assembly.

At the opening ceremony, CAMSAO President Goussou Koudou Lazare highlighted the major challenges facing social marketing organizations for nearly a decade. “We operate in an environment where financial resources allocated to social marketing organizations have been dwindling for about ten years,” he stated.

While these organizations play a key role in public health promotion, behavior change, HIV prevention, and reproductive health, the sharp decrease in funding threatens the continuity of services provided to communities.
The president emphasized, “Without resources, it becomes impossible to meet the expectations of populations, motivate them to use health products and services, or sustainably support our interventions.”

Social Marketing: A Lever Supporting Governments

According to CAMSAO, social marketing does not replace governments — it supports them. Over the years, significant progress has been made in West Africa, particularly in awareness-raising, HIV prevention, reproductive health, and the promotion of positive behaviors.

However, regional economic challenges and the gradual withdrawal of several donors are jeopardizing these achievements. The objective of the gathering is therefore clear: to design a robust and sustainable financing strategy. “We want to leave this meeting with a clear strategy that will allow us to extend our interventions and continue our mission,” affirmed President Goudou Koudou Lazare.

WAHO: A Longstanding Partner Since 2014

Dr. Clétus Adohinzin, in charge of Programming and Resource Use and representative of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), recalled the importance of his institution’s support to CAMSAO. The platform was established in 2014 as part of the regional HIV/AIDS supply chain and prevention program developed with ECOWAS.
“When we talk about supply chain visibility and the promotion of lower-risk behaviors, we cannot overlook social marketing tools,” he stressed.

Since its creation, CAMSAO has supported WAHO through key initiatives, including the cross-border campaign launched in 2016 to strengthen prevention efforts in border areas.
But the current situation is concerning: the significant withdrawal of U.S. funding has severely impacted stock levels and the availability of health products.
“All our member states are facing stock shortages. The entire social marketing chain is affected,” warned Dr. Adohinzin. “We need to reflect together on how to strengthen solidarity and reactivate early warning systems.”

WAHO expects CAMSAO to continue playing its role as a “technical arm” in promoting lower-risk behaviors and ensuring the availability of essential products, particularly condoms for young people.

How to Ensure the Sustainability of Social Marketing?

For Dr. Cheick Sarr, Executive Director of the Senegal Social Marketing Development Agency (ADEMAS), the current challenges call for a profound renewal of the model. “The reduction of funding and the withdrawal of certain donors require us to work together to find solutions that strengthen the resilience of our organizations,” he explained.

Priority strategies include pooling resources, reinforcing solidarity between agencies, improving the profitability of interventions, and adopting innovative mechanisms for resource mobilization.
The ultimate goal is to ensure the sustainability of social marketing organizations, which remain essential for public health in West Africa.

The four days of work will allow participants to review progress and challenges from 2025, identify sustainable resource mobilization solutions, strengthen the network’s institutional framework, and define a clear roadmap for the coming years.

Raymond DZAKPATA