We work with governments and local organisations in Senegal and countries across Africa to deliver vital charity work and make sure everyone has the chance to thrive.
Sightsavers in Senegal
Senegal is the westernmost country in Africa. Its capital, Dakar, is located on the end of the Cap-Vert peninsula.
Despite being one of the most stable nations in West Africa, Senegal is one of the world’s least developed countries and has high levels of poverty. Its main economic drivers are agriculture, mining, construction and fishing, with more than half of the population employed in farming.
The government of Senegal’s commitment to universal health coverage is currently hampered by weaknesses in the health care system, including financing and governance issues. As a result, people in rural areas face additional challenges when trying to access health care and essential medicines.
Four neglected tropical diseases that can be treated with preventative medication are endemic in Senegal. Campaigns to distribute the medication are helping to protect millions of people across the country from these debilitating diseases.
In 2010, the Senegalese government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Yet people with disabilities still face significant barriers in society when accessing education, health care and employment opportunities.
Facts about Senegal
- Population: 18 million
- Capital: Dakar
- Official language: French
- Human development index (HDI) ranking: 170 (low)
140,000 people in Senegal are estimated to be blind
347,000 people need treatment for river blindness
A teacher gives guidance to a young boy with albinism in a classroom in Senegal.
What are the challenges in Senegal, and how can these be addressed?
Eye care
Only six of the 14 regions in Senegal have an ophthalmologist.
Not everyone in Senegal can access eye care, with people in rural areas most at risk from sight loss due to untreated eye conditions. Our charity work in the country is helping to improve eye health services for everyone.
Infectious diseases
People in Senegal are at high risk of disease.
Four neglected tropical diseases that can be treated with medication are endemic in the country, putting millions of people at risk from illness and disability. In Senegal, our work on these diseases focuses on trachoma.
Inclusion and equality
People with disabilities in Senegal can’t access opportunities equally.
Women and girls also face stigma and discrimination in the country. Our charity work on disability rights in Senegal focuses on improving everyone’s access to health care, education and employment.
Isseu stands in a classroom holding her crutches. She's wearing a vibrant yellow dress and headscarf.
“A woman with a disability in a position of power would be a good reference for people. I can be an example for young people with disabilities.”
Isseu is the president of the Association of People with Physical Disabilities in Kaolack, Senegal
How you can help
Our charity work in Senegal is helping to ensure everyone can be treated for eye conditions, but there’s still more we need to do.
With your support, we want to improve eye care services, protect people from disease and create a ripple effect in Senegal, so everyone can learn, earn and thrive. To do this, we need your help.
Charity donations, legacies, corporate partnerships and gifts from charitable foundations are a vital source of funding for our programmes in Senegal. We also welcome opportunities to work in partnership with governments, institutions and development organisations.
Contact us: If you have any questions about our work in Senegal, would like more details about our programmes or wish to discuss ways to donate or support us, email ask-senegal@sightsavers.org
Latest stories from Senegal
How we’re transforming political participation in Cameroon and Senegal
Sightsavers’ Laurène Leclercq shares successes from an award-winning project in Cameroon and Senegal that’s supporting people with disabilities to participate in all aspects of political life.
Laurène Leclercq, March 2023
Senegal launches action plan to collect high-quality inclusive data
The initiative outlines the steps needed to ensure that people with disabilities are represented in official data, which will inform the government’s planning and monitoring.
December 2022
Sightsavers wins Zero Project award for work on political participation
The prize was awarded for our inclusion project which promotes the rights of people with disabilities to participate in civic and political life in Cameroon and Senegal.
December 2022
We are… promoting inclusive elections
We’re working with partners in Cameroon and Senegal to ensure people with disabilities are able to take part in every stage of the political process.
In Senegal, we’re ensuring all children are able to go to school
Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. Your donations are helping to train teachers so they can welcome children with visual impairments and other disabilities into the classroom.
Collaboration is key: lessons from the World Water Forum
Sightsavers’ Salimata Bocoum shares learnings, actions and reflections from the World Water Forum, where the importance of working together to fight neglected tropical diseases was a key theme.
Salimata Bocoum, April 2022
Discover where Sightsavers works in Africa and Asia
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