Niger
Situation Report
Nigerians suffer from one of the world's highest infant mortality rates—15 percent—and more than one quarter of Niger's children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday. Widespread poverty and lack of resources have led to chronic malnutrition for many of the country's 14 million people. Nearly 15 percent of children under five are severely malnourished and their parents do not have access to proper care.
In 2008, the Human Development Index ranked Niger 144 out of 177 countries. One of Niger's most urgent needs is increasing the number of health care professionals. Currently, there is just one physician for every 50,000 people.
Our Work
Medical Teams International sent the first team of volunteers to Niger in June 2004. Since then, we have deployed 29 additional volunteer teams to train African hospital staff and provide patient care at Serving in Mission’s Galmi Hospital.
Visiting physicians from Medical Teams International provide both patient care and specific hands-on training for medical professionals at Galmi Hospital. This type of education enhances the likelihood that local professionals will stay in their home countries and continue to serve since they will have the skills and knowledge they need to provide proper care.
Future Plans
Medical Teams International will send five medical teams to Niger to complement SIM Galmi Hospital's medical services and to train local physicians and hospital staff in primary care and surgical specialties. Surgeons of all specialties are needed for these teams including general surgery, urology, OB/Gyn, orthopedics, pediatric surgery and many others. Additionally, primary care physicians are needed, including pediatricians, family practice, ER and internal medicine specialists.
Our Partners
Serving in Mission (SIM) has been operating in Niger since 1945. The mission of the Galmi Hospital is to serve the desperately poor, rural population of approximately one million people on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The hospital is situated in south central Niger, less than 10 miles from Nigeria’s northern border. They work with the Nigerien government to provide medical coverage for the general population. Galmi hospital is also known as the best surgical center available in Niger and performs more than 3,000 major operations annually. The outpatient clinic serves more than 300 people daily.
RELATED LINKS