Senegal faces a major health challenge: the explosion of brain disorders. While strokes, meningitis, and epilepsy are increasing alarmingly, the country suffers from a critical shortage of specialists. According to Professor Maouli Fall, president of the organizing committee for the Senegalese Association of Neurology's annual conference, the ratio is alarming: "Senegal has approximately 75 neurologists for nearly 18 million inhabitants, a number still far from sufficient to cover the entire country."

Unsustainable pressure on hospitals

Neurological diseases are now overwhelming hospital facilities. Strokes, in particular, now account for nearly two-thirds of hospitalizations in major specialized departments, especially in Dakar. Even more concerning, they are responsible for approximately one-third of deaths recorded in these departments. This situation illustrates not only the scale of the public health problem, but also the pressure exerted on specialists overwhelmed by the emergency.

The time factor: between life, disability and death

The shortage of neurologists leads to diagnostic delays that are often fatal. In neurology, the speed of intervention is the determining factor. For a stroke, effective treatment should ideally be administered within 4 hours and 30 minutes of the first symptoms. Due to a lack of specialists or nearby facilities, many patients arrive too late, exposing themselves to irreversible damage or death.

Neurological medical deserts

The shortage of specialists exacerbates regional disparities. The vast majority of neurologists practice in the capital, leaving rural populations in a state of alarming lack of medical care. This urban concentration forces families to travel long distances, increasing healthcare costs and delaying vital treatments.

Prevention and training: the two pillars of change

Faced with this crisis, there are levers for action. Strengthening university training should allow for a gradual increase in the number of practitioners in the coming years. However, experts emphasize the urgent need for prevention. Adopting a healthy lifestyle and combating high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity remain the most effective ways to reduce the incidence of these diseases.

The management of brain diseases has become a matter of health sovereignty. Between the increase in cases and the high cost of treatments, strengthening human resources and infrastructure is an absolute priority to guarantee equitable access to care and curb mortality related to diseases of the nervous system.