Restoring dignity: Senegalese surgeon and Burundian foundation win reproductive health award

United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, announced on Wednesday that the individual award will be given to Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye from Senegal, while the institutional award will be given to the Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza from Burundi.

This annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to breakthroughs that improve reproductive health and solve population growth-related challenges facing society on the ground.

For decades, Professor Gueye has done just that cares for women suffering from obstetric fistula, a serious but largely preventable birth injury This can make survivors unable to control themselves, isolated and rejected by their families and communities.

In addition to undergoing life-changing surgery, he has trained surgeons in more than 45 countries in sub-Saharan Africahelping expand access to specialist care across the region.

Commitment to dignity

Talk to UN NewsProfessor Gueye said preventing new cases remained the biggest challenge. He called for a stronger health system and universal access to emergency obstetric care, including timely caesarean sections, and said this was essential so that obstetric fistulas could be eliminated by 2030.

“Strengthening the health system in general, improving emergency obstetric services, for me is the key to eliminating fistulahe said.

He also emphasized that treatment does not end with surgery. The community, he said, has an important role in identifying women who are often hidden due to societal stigma, supporting them through treatment and helping them rebuild their lives through social and economic reintegration.

Professor Gueye’s commitment extends beyond the operating room. To increase access to health services for underserved communities, he transformed his own house to the Aristide Mensah Health Center in Yeumbeul, on the outskirts of Dakar, and has long fought for greater awareness of obstetric fistula across West Africa.

Reflecting on receiving the award, he described it as recognition of the many people who have supported his work over the years, rather than an individual achievement.

“I don’t take it as a personal confession. For me, this is a collective workhe said UN Newsadding that the award encourages him to continue giving back to overlooked and underserved communities.

He also delivered a message to young health professionals, urging them to develop their skills with humility and resilience while reaching beyond urban hospitals to serve remote communities where health services are often scarce.

Listen to the full interview here:

At a ceremony at UN Headquarters, in a message delivered by UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Diene Keita, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that demographic shifts are changing the world and require a collective response, “especially as they impact progress in achieving those goals Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the Pact for the Future”.

“To achieve true demographic resilience, we must place the rights, dignity and well-being of all people as a top priority in our development effortshe said. ‘This is not just a matter of policy, but also a moral imperative”, Guterres said in his message.

While congratulating the winners, the Secretary-General praised Professor Gueye’s “clinical excellence and humanitarian dedication” and the Burundian foundation’s efforts to improve maternal health and build local capacity.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Gueye said the award was “recognition of collective efforts in making health the foundation of our society”, and accepted it “on behalf of everyone who thinks that a truly resilient population is one that has health, autonomy and dignity”.

Throughout his acceptance speech, Professor Gueye told the stories of women whose lives have been changed through treatment, underscoring that each operation represents more than just a surgical procedure. “Behind every operation, there is a story,” he said, adding that the true measure of success is giving women “back to life” and offering patients in neglected and remote communities a second chance to regain their health, dignity and livelihood.

Expanding access to health services in Burundi

Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza works to expand access to health services, education and social support for women, children and vulnerable families throughout Burundi. In 2022, they opened the Umugiraneza Polyclinic in Gitega Province, bringing specialist services, including paediatrics, emergency care and fertility treatment, closer to rural communities. The foundation also supports treatment for women suffering from obstetric fistula, life-saving operations for children with congenital abnormalities, and services for survivors of gender-based violence.

Speaking at the ceremony, Burundi’s First Lady, Angeline Ndayishimiye, who heads the Bonne Action Umugiraneza Foundation, said that receiving recognition from the UN was “a privilege and a responsibility.”

“This inspired us to pursue our mission with even greater determination,” he added.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 1981, the United Nations Population Award recognizes individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health. This year marks the 41st award presentation.