Senegalese Surgeon Who Trained Fistula Doctors in 45+ Countries Wins UN Award

For healthcare providers, the 2026 UN Population Award delivers a powerful message: investing in surgical training can cascade across borders. Senegalese fistula surgeon Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye, this year’s individual laureate, has personally built a network of trained surgeons in more than 45 countries—demonstrating how a single mentor can transform access to life-restoring procedures in some of the world’s most underserved health systems. His recognition, alongside that of Burundi’s Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza, puts the spotlight on the global effort to eliminate obstetric fistula by 2030 and the systemic changes needed to achieve it.

The 2026 United Nations Population Award has been awarded to Senegalese surgeon Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye and the Burundian foundation Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza, shining a spotlight on the persistent global challenge of obstetric fistula and the critical role of surgical capacity building in reproductive health. Announced by UNFPA on July 8, 2026, the award recognizes contributions that advance population and reproductive health, with this year’s honorees representing frontline clinical expertise and grassroots institutional support.

“

His recognition, alongside that of Burundi’s Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza, puts the spotlight on the global effort to eliminate obstetric fistula by 2030 and the systemic changes needed to achieve it.

Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury predominantly affecting women in low-resource settings, caused by prolonged obstructed labor without timely medical intervention. It leads to chronic incontinence, recurrent infections, and profound social stigma, often resulting in isolation and abandonment. The condition is largely preventable through access to emergency obstetric care, including cesarean sections, yet an estimated 500,000 women globally live with fistula, with new cases concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals target elimination of obstetric fistula by 2030, a goal that remains off-track due to weak health systems, lack of skilled birth attendants, and insufficient surgical treatment capacity.

Professor Gueye’s four-decade career has been dedicated to fistula repair and to building the next generation of surgeons. He has personally trained fistula surgeons from more than 45 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, creating a multiplier effect that expands access to corrective surgery in regions where it is most needed. His approach is holistic: beyond the operating theatre, he emphasizes community engagement to identify hidden patients, reduce stigma, and support socioeconomic reintegration. In his words, “Strengthening health systems in general, scaling up emergency obstetric care, to me is the key to eliminate fistula.” This systems-thinking aligns with global health strategies that prioritize universal health coverage and emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) as foundational.

The institutional award to Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza underscores the importance of community-based organizations in delivering reproductive health services to vulnerable women and children. Operating in Burundi, one of the world’s poorest nations with high maternal mortality rates, the foundation addresses a spectrum of needs from maternal health to child protection. Its recognition highlights how local civil society can complement clinical efforts by tackling socioeconomic determinants of health.