Reverse Linkage

66 REVERSE LINKAGE H is Majesty King Mohammed VI has established South-South Cooperation (SSC) as a strategic pillar of the Kingdomof Morocco’s foreign policy. As a priority, a diversified ecosystem to promote SSC in Africa has been developed including ministerial depart- ments, public institutions, government agencies, private companies, banks, insurance companies, foundations, NGOs, universities and think tanks. TheMoroccanAgency for International Cooperation (AMCI) was created in 1986 to reinforce the country’s capacity for international cooperation. With its crucial role in implement- ing Morocco’s SSC, the agency’s sustainable development brief was to promote human capital and to support and implement human development projects. Guided by the King’s vision, AMCI plays a pivotal role in SSC in support of developing African countries by promoting Moroccan expertise and experience in the field. The agency operates in coordination with the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in implementing the activities that are carried out in part- nership with the various Moroccan ministerial departments and national flagship organizations. AMCI’s mission is to strengthen cooperation through: • Cultural and scientific activities such as university and vocational training for foreign students and the exchange of researchers • Technical cooperation actions such as the organiza- tion of short- and medium-term visits for trainees and professionals, and the dispatch of experts for short-, medium- and long-term missions • Supporting the implementation of sustainable human development projects • Coordinating the implementation of Morocco’s human- itarian actions, along with those of major public state partners, such as donations in the form of drugs, para- medical equipment, foodstuffs, tents and blankets to countries affected by natural disasters. AMCI operates in 111 countries through four main areas of intervention, with a special focus onAfrica where 47 countries benefit from the agency’s activities. Among those activities is the annual delivery of four to five projects in partner countries with focus on sustainable human development in the fields of education; fisheries; health; agriculture and irrigation; drink- ing water and sanitation; and rural and urban electrification. Recently, Morocco and The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) conceived an ongoing project in Djibouti, facilitated through AMCI and the Reproductive Health Centre of Ibn Sina. Maternal and child health in Djibouti The challenge In Djibouti, maternal and neonatal health is considered a public health issue. In its National Action Plan to Fight Maternal Mortality, the country set as its key targets the reduc- tion of the maternal mortality rate to 90 in 100,000 and of the neonatal mortality rate to 25 in 1,000 by 2020. To that end, the Djibouti Ministry of Health’s Mother and Child Health Centre is cooperating with various partners to enhance access to maternal healthcare facilities and sensitize the population to the importance of maternal and child healthcare. One of the main challenges facing the country is the improvement of electronic monitoring systems and the surveillance of high-risk pregnancy and childbirth. This is due to many reasons, including a shortage of the required equipment within maternal and healthcare centres and the non-systematic follow up of protocols and standard operat- ing procedures to properly manage high-risk pregnancies. In addition, staff involved in public reproductive health require an increase in capacity to better manage such situations. The supply AMCI has provided the expertise, developed by Morocco’s Hospital Ibn Sina and its Reproductive Health Centre (RHC), that has over 25 years of experience in the manage- ment of obstetric and neonatal activities, dealing with about 20,000 pregnancy cases annually. Electronic monitoring of high-risk pregnancy and childbirth have taken place at the centre for many years, with a training toolkit having been developed, customized to Moroccan requirements in line with World Health Organization standards. A contribution to sustainable human development in Africa Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation; Islamic Development Bank, Rabat Regional Office