Bamako, March 27, 2024 – Workshop on Access to Social Health Protection for Populations at Risk of Child Labour in Mali
A workshop was organized by the ILO ACCEL Africa project with the focus on presenting the preliminary findings of a study concerning access to social health protection for populations at risk of child labour in Mali. This event saw the gathering of significant stakeholders including representatives from the National Directorate for Social Protection and Solidarity Economy, various national confederations, health mutuals, the Ministry of Labor, the National Employers’ Council of Mali, regional bodies, and various trade unions.
The primary goal of the workshop was to engage with key stakeholders by sharing insights and preliminary findings from the ongoing study, aiming to enrich the study’s outcomes with diverse feedback and expert contributions.
The study presented at the workshop revealed significant insights into the challenges and barriers that populations at risk of child labour face in accessing social health protection in Mali. It highlighted that economic and geographic constraints, along with a lack of adequate information, severely limit these populations’ ability to benefit from existing social protection frameworks. The findings also pointed to the critical need for systemic changes, including the integration of more inclusive policies and the enhancement of outreach and education programs to ensure that vulnerable groups are not only aware of but can also access the health services available to them.
Throughout the workshop, the discussions centered on understanding the barriers affecting the target populations, comparing field findings with document analyses, and integrating stakeholder perspectives into the project’s ongoing efforts to enhance social protection frameworks aimed at eliminating child labour—a known consequence of household poverty.
Key presentations included:
- A detailed mapping of social protection institutions and services in Mali.
- Analysis of access barriers, including social, economic, financial, geographic, and informational challenges.
- Proposals for future initiatives such as risk insurance in agriculture, professional management of health mutuals, and fostering loyalty within social protection services.
Discussion points raised during the workshop addressed methodological approaches, the role of health mutuals, the involvement of agricultural professional organizations, and the need for improved statistical data among other crucial topics.
Moving forward, the workshop underscored the imperative to translate these findings into actionable strategies. There was a consensus on the necessity to streamline access to social health protection services and to design tailored interventions that address the identified barriers. Key recommendations include the development of community-based programs to raise awareness, the improvement of data collection for more targeted actions, and the strengthening of partnerships between government entities, non-governmental organizations, and local communities. These steps are crucial in building a robust social protection system that can effectively safeguard vulnerable populations from the risks associated with child labour.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
The article discusses the challenges and barriers faced by populations at risk of child labor in accessing social health protection in Mali. These issues are directly connected to the goals of eradicating poverty (SDG 1), ensuring good health and well-being (SDG 3), promoting decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
- Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
- Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.
- Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are to implement social protection systems for the poor and vulnerable (Target 1.3), achieve universal health coverage (Target 3.8), eradicate child labor (Target 8.7), and promote social and economic inclusion (Target 10.2).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable.
- Indicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services (defined as the average coverage of essential services based on tracer interventions that include reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and service capacity and access).
- Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
- Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
The article implies indicators such as the proportion of the population covered by social protection systems (Indicator 1.3.1), coverage of essential health services (Indicator 3.8.1), the proportion and number of children engaged in child labor (Indicator 8.7.1), and the proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (Indicator 10.2.1).
4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1: No Poverty | Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. | Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable. |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. | Indicator 3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services (defined as the average coverage of essential services based on tracer interventions that include reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and service capacity and access). |
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms. | Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status. | Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities. |
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Fuente: ilo.org
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