The conference room at the Léopold S. Senghor Stadium hosted the 13th Ordinary and Extraordinary General Assembly of the National Alliance of Communities for Health. More than two hundred delegates from associations, NGOs, and institutional partners gathered on Saturday, November 29, 2025, to review three years of activities, assess achievements, and outline future work priorities.

Discussions focused on the current context, described as tense due to funding cuts that are impacting the continuity of community health services. Rokhaya Nguer, Chair of the ANCS Board of Directors, opened the proceedings by commending the steadfastness of the statutory bodies.

She stated: "The regularity with which your decision-making bodies meet reflects the vitality of your organization and attests to transparent and rigorous governance." She added: "This General Assembly is being held in a particularly demanding context, marked by budget constraints and a scarcity of resources that are impacting the financing of our healthcare system."

The PCA highlighted the key role of community engagement, which she described as a vital pillar for maintaining access to services in fragile areas. She reiterated that "communities have always been at the forefront of the fight against diseases that, moreover, originate in communities and end in communities."

Furthermore, she commended the member organizations and reaffirmed the strength of the collaboration between the ANCS and the health authorities through an agreement renewed several times.

The Board of Directors was urged to strengthen its involvement in primary healthcare. The Chair explained, “The community-based approach is the key to bringing healthcare services closer to our citizens, especially in the most remote areas.” The Chair also highlighted the establishment of the Community Health Insurance Scheme, presented as a strategic tool to overcome major barriers to accessing care.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Health and Social Action, Serigne Mbaye, spoke to highlight the magnitude of the challenges encountered during the period under review. He stated: “The last three years have been exceptionally complex. We have faced trying times, marked by recurring epidemics, the emergence of new diseases, and considerable institutional and financial constraints.”

Serigne Mbaye highlighted the performance of the programs led by ANCS, supported by the Global Fund's A rating, which he described as "the highest rating awarded to a principal recipient from civil society in Africa." According to him, the challenges faced have opened avenues for innovation and necessitated the exploration of new funding mechanisms, as well as strengthened advocacy to maintain the voice of communities in public policy development.

“We must seize this opportunity to build a more robust, more agile model that is better aligned with the evolving health needs of the populations we serve,” he stated. He emphasized the need for a strengthened structure for grassroots organizations to ensure a local response to emerging health threats, particularly those related to climate change.

Looking back on three decades of action, he recalled that the community network has played a major role in the fight against HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19. He expressed his hope that the ANCS would achieve the status of a recognized public utility organization, which he described as a "just consecration" of the work accomplished.

The series of official statements concluded with thanks to the technical and financial partners, before the continuation of internal discussions devoted to the validation of reports, the examination of prospects and the panel on the current and future challenges of the community response.