West Africa
Senegal is Amref’s hub in West Africa, also serving Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Guinea, and other countries in the region as needs evolve.
Amref in West Africa
Amref Health Africa has been operational in West Africa since 2011, when it responded to the West African Health Organization’s request for support in addressing health challenges. The regional hub is located in Dakar, Senegal.
What are the health challenges in West Africa?
Across West Africa, weak health infrastructure coupled with limited access and a lack of trained personnel means communities in Senegal as well as in neighbouring countries face severe health challenges.
The WHO says that to deliver quality healthcare for all, a population of 10,000 people needs at the minimum 44.5 health workers (doctors, nurses, midwives). Yet health worker density across these four countries falls far below this recommended level.
In Senegal, health workforce shortages are compounded by stark disparities between districts, most pronounced between urban and rural communities. In Dakar, 96% of births are attended by skilled health workers, but that figure falls dramatically to between 52 and 56% in rural regions. (2016 data)
Senegal’s population is characterised by its youth: 50% of the population is under 19 years of age, and 39.2% is under 15, creating specific health needs that require a tailored response.
In the Republic of Guinea, where 44% of the population is under 15, family planning and sexual and reproductive health indicators for women and adolescents are among the most worrying in the region.
Health by numbers: West Africa
Senegal experiences 153 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births
In the Republic of Guinea, there are just 0.2 doctors for every 10,000 people
Malaria is the leading cause of child death in the Republic of Guinea: 17% of malaria cases occur among children under 5 years old
In Côte d’Ivoire, 67 children out of every 1,000 will not live to see their fifth birthday
“[In 2024] our programmes touched the lives of thousands of young people, women, and entire communities, in the most remote regions as well as in the biggest urban centres. We put in place the key elements of a fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient health system. [Amref West Africa and our partners] believe that change is not only necessary, but possible.”
What does Amref do in West Africa?
Building Strong Health Systems
In Senegal and across the West Africa region, Amref works to make health services accessible to people in both underserved rural areas and densely-populated urban centres through community-driven approaches and strategic partnerships.
Amref was instrumental in supporting the development of the Government of Senegal’s health policies and national health strategies. These high-level decisions are what shapes the reality of healthcare delivery for people across Senegal.
Our work also focusses on:
- Health worker training: Amref provides health workers at all levels of the system with easy access to the latest skills and knowledge to help them serve their communities. Not only does this result in improved health outcomes at community level; it also enables health workers to gain new qualifications and progress their careers.
- Women and children’s health: Amref delivers reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health programmes that address the most urgent health challenges. This includes the organisation of surgical camps offering holistic support to children in remote regions who otherwise would not have access to any kind of medical care, some of them living with debilitating and even life-threatening conditions.
- Non-Communicable Diseases: Amref raises awareness of conditions including diabetes and hypertension, increases demand for care, and provides screening and testing services – as well as training health workers to detect these conditions and act to stop their spread.
- Gender equity and ending harmful practices: This includes work to end Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in priority regions of Senegal and at its borders with neighbouring countries, as well as efforts to prevent other forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
- Youth empowerment: 64% of West Africa’s population is under 25 years old. Amref supports and strengthens youth organisations and networks focussing on sexual and reproductive health and rights, youth participation in decision-making and policy development at both local and national levels, and on wider social determinants of health including employment, entrepreneurship, and education. Advocating for the rights – and the leadership abilities – of young people is at the heart of our work in the region.
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Images: (banner) Former FGM Cutter Oumou Awa DIALLO Senegal (c) Amref Health Africa / Jacques Manga