CDC in Senegal

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began working in Senegal in 2001, with an initial focus on supporting the HIV sentinel surveillance program. The launch of the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative in 2006 and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2010 expanded CDC’s support. In 2015, under the Global Health Security Agenda, CDC established an office in Senegal in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Action, the World Health Organization, and other partners to strengthen the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks.

CDC Impact in Senegal

HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB)

As a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC works with Senegal to build a sustainable, high-impact national HIV response program to accelerate progress towards the UNAIDS global targets to control the HIV epidemic.

CDC works with Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Social Action to strengthen its national HIV surveillance system for data collection on key populations, such as female sex workers and men who have sex with men, and to improve the data quality for prevention of mother-to-child transmission and on-site HIV rapid testing.

Global Health Security

CDC’s global health security efforts in Senegal help improve the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks before they become epidemics that could affect global populations. These efforts help Senegal reach the targets outlined in the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

Working closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Action and other partners, CDC provides expertise and support across the 11 technical areas known as GHSA action packages. These action packages help Senegal build core public health capacities in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce development, and emergency management, as well as other critical areas. Senegal has made significant progress in the area of workforce development, with more than 150 staff working on disease surveillance that were trained in the frontline level of the Field Epidemiology Training Program, and supporting the launch of community-based surveillance activities in the country.

Senegal’s Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system reports on 44 diseases of which16 are reported on a weekly basis. Since 2017, CDC has supported Senegal in expanding IDSR reporting to the community level, targeting 8 syndromes.

Field Epidemiology Training Program

CDC supports Senegal in strengthening the capacity of its workforce to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks through the establishment of a Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). FETP trains a workforce of field epidemiologists—or disease detectives—to identify and contain outbreaks before they become epidemics. Participants focus on “learning by doing” to develop the skills for gathering critical data and turning it into evidence-based action. Three levels of training—advanced, intermediate, and frontline—help develop national, regional, and local capabilities to stop diseases at their source.

Malaria

Malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many countries, and young children and pregnant women are the groups most affected. Under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, CDC has assigned a resident advisor to the malaria-endemic country of Senegal to support the implementation of malaria prevention and control interventions. CDC provides technical assistance for:

  • operations research
  • diagnostics
  • case management
  • malaria in pregnancy
  • malaria surveillance
  • program evaluation; and
  • vector monitoring and control.

The CDC resident advisor provides valuable support for the design and implementation of continuous demographic and health surveys to monitor the burden of disease and impact of interventions. CDC also assists with research related to insecticide-treated net longevity, malaria case management, therapeutic efficacy studies, and developing and assessing new tools to help Senegal progress from malaria control to elimination.

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

CDC provides technical and programmatic support to eradicate or control vaccine-preventable diseases through immunizations. Currently, Senegal’s Expanded Program on Immunization targets 13 diseases and includes second dose of measles rubella vaccine as well as inactivated polio vaccine, rotavirus vaccine and penumococcal conjugate vaccine. Additionally, the country is planning to introduce meningococcal vaccine.

CDC Staff in Senegal
  • 4 U.S. Assignees
  • 3 Locally Employed
Senegal at a Glance
  • Population: > 17.9 million
  • Per capita income:  $3,690
  • Life expectancy: F 71 / M 68 years
  • Infant mortality rate: 33/1,000 live births

Sources: International Population Reference Bureau 2022, Senegal

Senegal Top 10 Causes of Death
  1. Neonatal disorders
  2. Ischemic heart disease
  3. Lower respiratory infections
  4. Malaria
  5. Diarrheal diseases
  6. Stroke
  7. Tuberculosis
  8. Diabetes mellitus
  9. Chronic kidney disease
  10. Cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases

Source: GBD Compare 2019, Senegal