Restoring dignity: Senegalese surgeon and Burundian foundation win reproductive health awards
The UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, announced on Wednesday that the individual award will go to Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye of Senegal, while
The UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, announced on Wednesday that the individual award will go to Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye of Senegal, while the institutional prize will be presented to the Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza of Burundi. The annual award recognises outstanding contributions to breakthroughs which boost reproductive health and solve population growth-related challenges facing communities on the ground. Tweet URL For decades, Professor Gueye has treated women living with obstetric fistula, a devastating but largely preventable childbirth injury that can leave survivors incontinent, isolated and rejected by their families and communities. Alongside performing life-changing surgery, he has trained surgeons from more than 45 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, helping expand access to specialist care throughout the region. Commitment to dignity Speaking to UN News, Professor Gueye said preventing new cases remains the greatest challenge. He called for stronger health systems and universal access to emergency obstetric care, including timely caesarean sections, saying these are essential if obstetric fistula is to be eliminated by 2030. “Strengthening health systems in general, scaling up emergency obstetric care, to me is the key to eliminate fistula,” he said. He also stressed that treatment does not end with surgery.
Communities, he said, have a crucial role in identifying women who often remain hidden because of community stigma, supporting them through treatment and helping them rebuild their lives through social and economic reintegration. Professor Gueye’s commitment extends beyond the operating theatre. To improve access to healthcare for underserved communities, he transformed his own home into the Aristide Mensah Health Center in Yeumbeul, on the outskirts of Dakar, and has long championed greater awareness of obstetric fistula across West Africa. Reflecting on receiving the award, he described it as a recognition of the many people who had supported his work over the years rather than an individual achievement. “I don't take it as personal recognition. To me, it is collective work,” he told UN News, adding that the honour encourages him to continue giving back to neglected and underserved communities. He also had a message for young health professionals, urging them to develop their skills with humility and resilience while reaching beyond urban hospitals to serve remote populations where healthcare is often scarce. Listen to the full interview here Soundcloud At the ceremony at UN Headquarters, in a message delivered by UNFPA’s Deputy Executive Director Diene Keita, Secretary-General António Guterres said demographic shifts were reshaping the world and required a collective response, “particularly as they impact progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the Pact for the Future”.
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