 |
|
|
| |
Senegal International Health Insurance / Healthcare System
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 The Republic
of Senegal, more commonly known as Senegal, is a country on the
west coast of Africa that shares land borders with Mauritania,
Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. Senegal also completely surrounds
The Gambia. Senegal’s total land area is 196,723 square kilometers
with an approximate population of 12.5 million people. Formerly a
French colony, Senegal became fully independent in 1960 and made
Dakar its capital city. Well known for their musical prowess and
ethnic variety, the Senegalese enjoy many local customs and
traditions with art and literature forming important parts of the
national culture. Senegal experiences a hot, tropical climate with
the majority of rainfall occurring between June and October. The
country’s official language is French although this is only spoken
by an educated minority. Several local languages are widely
spoken, the most common being Wolof and Pulaar.
Senegal has limited natural resources and is dependant on revenues
from the export of fish and phosphates. With approximately 45
percent of the population living in rural areas, agriculture is
the backbone of the domestic economy. Strong tourism and services
sectors have resulted in Senegal having some of the most developed
tourism facilities in the region. Chronic unemployment and poverty
levels pose major challenges for continued economic growth and
development.
Senegal’s health care system is divided into three categories:
health posts, health centers and regional hospitals. Health posts
provide primary level care to small rural villages and are staffed
by community health workers. These community workers are usually
volunteers who have basic medical training and are qualified to
dispense medicines and give vaccinations. Health centers provide
care to larger villages whose total population numbers
approximately 10,000 people. Health centers comprise a delivery
room, examination room and a pharmacy and are staffed by a team of
doctors, nurses and midwives. Regional hospitals have an operating
room, laboratory and blood bank and are staffed by up to 20
personnel. In reality, the total number of medical facilities in
Senegal is insufficient for a country with a population of its
size. As a result, rural facilities generally suffer from
overcrowding, outdated equipment and shortages of basic medicines.
There is also a lack of suitably experienced medical personnel and
this shortfall is usually bridged by overseas medical volunteers
from countries such as Japan.
While facilities in the capital city Dakar are capable of
providing specialist treatment in the event of injury and illness,
overcrowding and the shortage of personnel means that individual’s
who seek treatment encounter serious delays and other associated
problems. In case of a serious medical emergency, evacuation to a
country with modern facilities is required. The Principal public
hospital is arguably the best known state run hospital in Dakar
and boasts relatively modern equipment and facilities. Two private
hospitals, Clinique de Cap and the Clinique de la Madeleine, are
more comparable to international medical standards and both offer
a better standard of health care, medical treatments and surgical
services. Treatment administered at private hospitals can be quite
expensive in comparison to their public counterparts although both
Clinique de Cap and Clinique de la Madeleine accept all major
international health insurance companies. Consequently,
expatriates and non-nationals visiting Senegal for a period of
time should purchase comprehensive travel and medical insurance
prior to their arrival in the country.
Senegal’s birth rate is 36.73 births per 1,000 people and the
infant mortality rate is 56.42 deaths per 1,000 live births. The
life expectancy at birth is 58 years for males and 62 years for
females. There are approximately 59,000 people in Senegal living
with HIV/AIDS and the adult prevalence rate is 0.9 percent,
considerably below its regional neighbors. Senegal has had
remarkable success in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS with the
government’s prompt reaction to the outbreak widely considered as
being one of the major factors in this success. The creation of a
National Program for the Fight against AIDS, along with strong
support from religious leaders and conservative thinking in
relation to sexual practices all contributed to the containment of
the disease.
Expatriates and other short term visitors to Senegal are advised
to seek medical advice four to six weeks before traveling.
Senegal’s tropical climate means that a number of diseases and
viruses are prevalent in the country. A travel health specialist
can inform all travelers of the risks associated with a visit to
Senegal. A number of vaccinations including the routine
vaccination for influenza, chickenpox (or varicella), polio,
measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus
(DPT) plus vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid,
Polio, Yellow Fever, Meningococcal meningitis and Rabies are all
advised. Malaria is prevalent throughout the country and travelers
are advised to purchase anti-malarial drugs before departure, as
well as take precautions against infection such as to use insect
repellant, wear long sleeve trousers and shirts and to sleep in
air-conditioned rooms with disinfected bed nets. If not treated
promptly, malaria can cause kidney failure and even death. Other
diseases prevalent to the region include Dengue, filariasis,
leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and African
trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness).
Crime levels in Senegal are generally low although petty street
crime is common in Dakar and other large cities. Incidents
involving purse snatching and pick pocketing are frequently
reported in areas popular with tourists. Photocopies of personal
and travel documents should be carried at all times. Business
fraud and scams are prevalent in Senegal and people should
exercise caution when using their debit and credit cards. The
threat of terrorism and kidnapping in the border areas with
Mauritania and Mali is high and care should be taken if traveling
to those areas. The Casamance region of south west Senegal has
experienced recent outbreaks of violence by armed separatists.
Unexploded landmines and other ordnance continue to cause
considerable injury and transportation problems. As such, vehicles
are urged to remain on paved roads and to avoid dirt tracks and
gravel roads.
| |
Senegal International Health Insurance |
| |
If you are planning to travel to Senegal, Globalsurance can assist you with any international health insurance needs you may have. We offer international health policies covering a wide range of services including: specialist consultation, transportation, inpatient services and more. To receive a free Senegal international health insurance quote, or to find
out more information on our global health insurance plans, please
contact one of our dedicated advisers today.
|
|
