Healthcare in Senegal

[1] Additionally, the country needs more doctors and health personnel, particularly general practitioners, gynecologists, obstetricians, pediatricians, pulmonologist, and cardiologists.

In 1905, France laid the foundation for health policy in the area, though primarily to serve the French colonial officials and not the native Senegalese.

Imperialist extraction from African colonies meant that the health care infrastructure was primarily constructed in large, coastal cities such as Dakar.

After the Second World War, international public opinion became more critical of colonial policy, and comprehensive programs were put in place to fight against major diseases.

[6] As a result of the development of health care infrastructure in the colonial era by the French, access remains very uneven across regions and between income levels.

[7] The system has been the subject of much criticism, especially because of the increasing demands of profitability and the corruption in this part of the government as in other domains of public life.

However, because most local officials have no training on how decentralization should work; there has been a vacuum in terms of planning and management, and weak institutional capacity and the few resources to allocate among increasing responsibilities have exacerbated issues.

There have been additional issues in creating conflicts between city officials and medical district officers over disbursement of money for the health sector.

Privatization in Senegal has meant that user fees and the sales of pharmaceuticals finance a significant part of the health sector.

Now, patients must buy a ticket to stand in line and receive care at a health clinic, which can be particularly problematic for mothers, the elderly, and the poorest of the poor.

[3] The website shows four clear initiatives:[16] Health care utilization in Senegal has been shaped by a variety of factors.

[12] At the individual level, the likelihood of seeking treatment is influenced by the relationship to the head of the household, employment status, gender, and age.

There is currently, there is a strong need for strategies to empower and better support the knowledge role of health coordinators and supervisors.

[22] Better health outcomes in Senegal, research suggests, is obtained when the relationship between healthcare providers and patients is based on the sharing of information, care, and trust.

However, only 42% of the Senegalese population lives in urban areas, such as Dakar, which means that few doctors are available to rural residents.

Health workers would endure better and for longer periods in remote areas of the country if they were offered permanent contracts and better equipment.

[22] Often, distance from health care facilities, rough roads, and improper means of transportation limit healthcare access in Senegal.

Additionally, there are issues with the transportation of sick, pregnant women; if ambulances are not available, horse-drawn trailers may also be effective.

Expanding coverage of healthcare workers present at birth, in particular midwifery care, can lessen delays, thus minimizing the risk of severe complications and even death.

[26] In Senegal, gender relations have been largely ignored in processes of decentralization and implementation of community management strategies.

As an example, some women have created networks of service providers in the informal sector for the majority of health care needs in the region of Pikine.

In Senegal, a large number of health care providers believe unmarried women should not be given information on family planning methods.

[28] In developing nations, CBHI plans are seen as a mechanism to meet health-financing needs of rural informal sector households.

CBHI increases facility-based maternal health services by reducing direct payments, thus facilitating timely use of healthcare.

The most important element is the inclusion of maternal health care in any CBHI benefits package, which makes the most significant difference.

CBHI plans can increase the demand for and quality of maternal care though requiring certain standards in contracts with health facilities.

[29] During the coronavirus pandemic, these workers became a point of contact for many Senegalese citizens with limited access to other healthcare professionals.

[30] CHWs are part of a larger goal to find appropriate strategies to improve the attraction and retention of health workers in remote and rural areas, which is particularly important in Senegal.

In Senegalese villages, CHWs are often unable to leave their home community for training and education, which has been a major obstacle for developing effective CHW schemes.

Other obstacles include poor transportation, poverty, the need to run families, and the absence of an economic plan for CHW training.