Senegal

Senegal is located in West Africa, bounded by Mauritania on the north, Mali on the east, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau on the south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west; and it almost entirely surrounds the country of Gambia. The capital city of Dakar, in the smallest and most populated region of Senegal, sits on the westernmost point of continental Africa, home to 2.5 million of the country's 12 million people.

Like most Sub-Saharan countries in Africa, Senegal endures the numerous health problems typically associated with severe poverty—approximately 54% of all households live below the poverty line. The country's most prevalent disease—malaria—is the leading cause of death in African children less than five years of age. In fact, a recent study of one region by the government of Senegal found that two thirds of all patients admitted to the local hospital were malaria cases and 35% of all childhood deaths were malaria-related. The problem impinges on every region of the country and is exacerbated by the free flow of poor quality antimalarial drugs and increasing parasite resistance to traditional first-line drug treatment.

Senegal began to decentralize its healthcare system in 1999, with the intent of improving access to and use of quality healthcare. Through involvement with Roll Back Malaria, in 2002 USP DQI conducted the first assessment of all Senegalese institutions involved in drug management and control. In cooperation with Senegal's National Laboratory for Drug Quality Control, Drug Regulatory Authority, and the University of Dakar, antimalarial drugs were collected from 14 different regions in the country, analyzed in USP laboratories, and revealed to be of poor quality. Since that time, USP DQI has provided training and technical assistance to all three institutions to help increase their capacity to assure the quality of antimalarial drugs in the market. A Memorandum of Understanding signed by all partners in the program continues to be implemented and, over time, will expand the program to include other drugs, such as antituberculosis medicines and artesunate derivatives. With USAID support, USP DQI continues to work with Senegal's government to improve this aspect of the country's public health.

Senegal Drug Quality Report Summary

USP DQI's initial assessment of Senegal's antimalarial drug quality assurance program and recommendations to improve this aspect of the country's public health. (Available in English and French.)