Senegal

In Senegal, diagnostic expertise is concentrated in Dakar at the Fann Teaching Hospital and Dakar Main Hospital, which function as the nation’s primary hubs for multidisciplinary assessment. Clinicians at Fann notably developed the Test of Senegal to diagnose dementia in elderly populations regardless of literacy. However, the country operates without a national strategy, leaving non-profits like ANAMAN and ASPASEN to support the broader care system.

Overall
AD Rating
Diagnostic Pathway
Senegal operates an emerging diagnostic pathway that utilises a culturally validated, literacy-independent tool called the Test of Senegal, though the process is severely hindered by a critical shortage of neurologists and a lack of neuroimaging infrastructure outside the capital.
Specialized Care
While the basic symptomatic medication donepezil is publicly reimbursed under the national insurance framework, specialised dementia care and psychiatric facilities remain highly urban-centric.
Caregiver Support
The state provides no structured financial allowances, stipends, or legal care leave protections for families, leaving the burden of home-based palliative care and family guidance to non-governmental organisations like ANAMAN and ASPASEN.
National Policies
Senegal does not currently have an official national dementia or Alzheimer’s disease strategy enacted at the government level.
Access to ATT-s
No therapies approved.
Organizations are listed for informational purposes based on publicly available sources. Inclusion does not necessarily indicate affiliation with or endorsement by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).

Highlights

Health system
Non-Universal, Mixed Funding (Mixed Provision)
National dementia plan
Dementia plan funding
No plan
Dementia prevalence rate
161
Dementia incidence rate
28
*per 100k Population
Prevalence Rate (per 100,000): 
This measures the total number of existing cases (both old and new) in a population at a specific point in time, divided by the total population and multiplied by 100,000. It tells you the overall "burden" or how widespread a condition is at that moment.
Incidence Rate (per 100,000): 
This measures the number of new cases that develop in a population over a specific period (usually one year), divided by the population at risk and multiplied by 100,000. This tells you the "speed" or risk of contracting the condition.

Population

19,167,406

Median age

19.6

Health expenditure (% of GDP)

4.1

Diagnosis

The biomedical diagnosis pathway shifts from primary health posts to specialised hubs in Dakar like Fann Teaching Hospital and Dakar Main Hospital. To bypass high illiteracy rates, clinicians utilize the locally validated Test of Senegal screening tool. Neuroimaging via CT and MRI is standard but access remains limited outside specialised locations like the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. Genetic and biomarker testings are unavailable routinely. Healthcare coverage under Universal Health Coverage (CMU) requires out-of-pocket copayments due to strict annual reimbursement ceilings on imaging.

Diagnosis pathway

The diagnostic journey typically begins at primary health posts, where providers refer patients to specialised centres in Dakar, like Fann Teaching Hospital. To overcome high elderly illiteracy rates, specialists use the culturally validated Test of Senegal screening tool. Definitive diagnosis is supported by neuroimaging, but MRI access is heavily restricted and mostly limited to specialised centres like the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. In rural regions, families often initially consult traditional healers or marabouts due to spiritual frameworks. Stigma, poor mental health literacy, and reliance on religious support frequently delay formal medical presentations.

The formal, biomedical pathway usually starts at primary health posts, where providers refer patients to specialized centers in Dakar, such as the Fann Teaching Hospital. To overcome high illiteracy rates among the elderly, specialists utilise the Test of Senegal, a culturally validated screening tool. Definitive diagnosis is then supported by neuroimaging, if available. Local reporting from Senegalese healthcare professionals notes that very few health facilities in Senegal have MRI available, and that access to MRI is largely limited to specialised centres such as the Institute Pasteur de Dakar. In some cases, an initial pathway for people with Alzheimer’s disease in rural Senegal may involve interpreting memory loss and behavioural changes through cultural or spiritual frameworks, leading families to consult traditional healers or marabouts. Family members and community networks often play a central role in recognising symptoms and facilitating help-seeking. At the same time, stigma associated with mental and neurological conditions, limited mental health literacy, and reliance on traditional or religious sources of support may delay presentation to formal health services. Religious leaders and traditional healers are therefore important stakeholders in the broader pathway to diagnosis and care, particularly in rural communities.

Wait times

Long wait time (expected)

Although quantitative data on wait times for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and neurology consultations in Senegal are not available, evidence from the broader African context indicates that access delays are strongly shaped by a severe shortage of neurologists. Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the lowest neurologist-to-population ratios globally, with specialists heavily concentrated in capital cities, leading to prolonged delays in specialist consultations and diagnostic work-up for neurological conditions, including dementia.

Diagnosis cost

Partially covered

Universal Health Coverage (CMU) and local mutuelles cover around 80 percent of public care, but patients must pay copayments out of pocket. CMU is a patchwork system varying by employment or community enrolment. Frameworks like Health Insurance Institutions (IPM) or MADGID leave a 20 percent copay and impose strict annual ceilings, such as 300,000 FCFA for imaging. Because a single brain MRI consumes most of this allowance, patients requiring complex or follow-up scans quickly exhaust their coverage limits, creating substantial out-of-pocket exposure.

Public coverage for routine consultations and some basic care exists but is limited: Universal Health Coverage (Couverture Maladie Universelle, CMU) and local mutuelles cover a share of care at public facilities (official guidance states ≈80% prise en charge for services in public structures), which implies patients still pay the remainder as copay. This means that a person who is covered with the CMU insurance must usually pay money out of pocket at the health facility, and the insurance reimburses only a portion of the bill (or pays its share later). However, CMU is a patchwork system. Coverage depends on whether someone is enrolled in a community-based health insurance scheme (mutuelle de santé), a formal-sector insurance plan (e.g., IPM for salaried workers), or a targeted government program for vulnerable groups.

The Health Insurance Institutions (Institutions de Prévoyance Maladie, IPM) and state-sponsored initiatives like MADGID (Mutuelle des Agents de la Douane et des Grands Invalides de Guerre) provide a framework for coverage, but it is often insufficient for chronic disease management. For instance, MADGID reimbursement rates are typically set at 80%, leaving the patient with a 20% co-pay. More critically, these plans often have strict annual ceilings. The reimbursement ceiling for imaging can be as low as 300,000 FCFA per beneficiary per year in certain categories. Given that a single MRI of the brain can consume a significant portion of this allowance, patients with complex needs (e.g., those requiring follow-up scans or scans for multiple body parts) quickly hit their coverage limits.

Cognitive tests

Available

Standard Western diagnostic tools, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), rely heavily on the person’s ability to read, write, and perform abstract calculations that presume a certain level of formal education. In the Senegalese context, where a significant portion of the elderly population may required support for reading and writing or may be literate only in Arabic or local languages not supported by standard tests, the MMSE can yield high false-positive rates for dementia. Thus, researchers and clinicians in Senegal developed and validated the Test of Senegal, a screening instrument for the Senegalese elderly population, explicitly independent of educational status. Test of Senegal is sometimes paired with the IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) scale.

Imaging tests

Rarely used

In January 2007, two high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners were installed in public hospitals in Dakar, at the Dakar Main Hospital and the Fann Teaching Hospital. However, the use and access of these scanners in the West Africa sub-region, including Senegal, remains low. In some cases, CT scanners are available within the same major healthcare institutions.

Genetic tests

There is no evidence that genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease risk factors is available as a routine clinical service for patients in Senegal.

Biomarker tests

Rarely used

There is no indication that healthcare services on Fann Hospital or Dakar Main Hospital offer analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood for Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers (e.g., Amyloid Beta 1-42, Tau proteins).

Cognitive Tests

Available

Standard Western diagnostic tools, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), rely heavily on the person’s ability to read, write, and perform abstract calculations that presume a certain level of formal education. In the Senegalese context, where a significant portion of the elderly population may required support for reading and writing or may be literate only in Arabic or local languages not supported by standard tests, the MMSE can yield high false-positive rates for dementia. Thus, researchers and clinicians in Senegal developed and validated the Test of Senegal, a screening instrument for the Senegalese elderly population, explicitly independent of educational status. Test of Senegal is sometimes paired with the IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) scale.

Imaging Tests

Rarely used

In January 2007, two high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners were installed in public hospitals in Dakar, at the Dakar Main Hospital and the Fann Teaching Hospital. However, the use and access of these scanners in the West Africa sub-region, including Senegal, remains low. In some cases, CT scanners are available within the same major healthcare institutions.

Genetic Tests

There is no evidence that genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease risk factors is available as a routine clinical service for patients in Senegal.

Biomarker Tests

Rarely used

There is no indication that healthcare services on Fann Hospital or Dakar Main Hospital offer analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood for Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers (e.g., Amyloid Beta 1-42, Tau proteins).

Treatment & Care

Specialised memory care is heavily centralized in urban hubs like Dakar’s Fann National Hospital Center and Dakar Main Hospital, creating vast regional disparities. Donepezil is the sole approved and covered dementia medication. Public day centres and late-stage palliative facilities are nonexistent; however, the non-governmental organisation ASPASEN provides a mobile, home-based palliative care model. Public health insurance (CMU) covers up to 80 percent of public costs for listed care, leaving families to pay the majority of long-term care and professional caregiver fees entirely out of pocket.

Specialized facilities and services

Specialised memory care is heavily concentrated in Dakar, primarily at the Fann National Hospital Center’s memory clinic and Dakar Main Hospital. The north is served by the Regional Hospital of Saint-Louis’s neurology service. This clustering creates severe geographic disparities, leaving rural areas underserved. No formal public day centres exist for respite care. Palliative facilities are virtually non-existent, prompting a shift toward mobile, home-based care. The non-governmental organisation ASPASEN leads this sector, deploying mobile teams to provide free in-home palliative support and pain management.

Specialised memory care is heavily concentrated in Dakar. For example, a memory clinic was established within the Neurological Clinic of the Fann National Hospital Center in 2003. Dakar Main Hospital also serves as primary diagnostic hub, offering multidisciplinary care. The north of the country is served by the Regional Hospital of Saint-Louis, which possesses a functional neurology service.

The concentration of dementia services in Dakar mirrors the broader distribution of mental health facilities in Senegal, which are largely clustered in major urban centres and remain scarce in many rural regions, contributing to significant geographic disparities in access to specialist care.

There is no evidence that formal Day Centers for respite care are present in the Senegalese public health system. Palliative care facilities for late-stage dementia are virtually nonexistent, with the country adopting a mobile, home-based care model instead. The NGO ASPASEN leads this effort, deploying teams to provide free palliative support and pain management directly in patients’ homes rather than in a hospice building.

Approved medication

Generic Name Trade Name Used for
Donepezil Aricept, Aricept ODT, Adlarity, Eranz, Memac, Alzepil, Davia, Donecept, Donep, Donepex, Donesyn, Dopezil, Yasnal, Memorit, Pezale, Redumas, Zolpezil, Namzaric* Donepezil is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer’s dementia.

*Namzaric = combination of Donepezil and Memantine

Treatment cost

Universal Health Coverage mutuelles cover up to 80 percent of public hospital care and generic drugs, but only for enrolled members and listed medicines. For Alzheimer’s disease, Donepezil is the only covered medication. Consequently, families must pay out of pocket for almost all other drugs, therapies, diagnostics, and long-term care services. This highlights critical regional challenges in accessing essential medicines, where World Health Organisation-recommended treatments are frequently omitted from public reimbursement schemes, forcing households to bear the financial burden directly.

The Ministry of Health indicates that mutuelles under Senegal’s Universal Health Coverage (CMU) reimburse up to 80% of care received at public health facilities and of generic medicines. However, this coverage applies only if the patient is enrolled in a mutuelle and only for medicines included on the official reimbursement list. For Alzheimer’s disease, Donepezil is currently the only medicine covered. As a result, most other medications, therapies, diagnostic tests, and long-term care services are not reimbursed, meaning that families usually have to pay a substantial share of costs out of pocket, and in many cases almost all Alzheimer-related expenses are borne directly by patients and their families. This situation reflects broader challenges in access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries, where medicines recommended by the World Health Organization are often not consistently available or covered by public reimbursement schemes.

Caregiver support

There is no well-established national caregiver subsidy, stipend or dedicated government programme in Senegal analogous to Western social services that reimburse or pay family caregivers. Informal networks and community or religious groups may offer occasional help, but structured public funding for caregivers is not documented. Any professional support (e.g., home nurses, paid aides) must generally be paid out-of-pocket by families.

ANAMAN, an Alzheimer’s disease advocacy and support organisation, may offer information, peer support and help connect families but does not provide substantial direct financial support or formal caregiver pay.

Policy

Senegal completely lacks an official national strategy or plan for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. This policy vacuum causes a highly fragmented public health response that ignores the needs of the growing elderly population. Although healthcare professionals and advocacy groups call for structured public policy, no formal plans are announced, and a broader national mental health strategy remains merely in development. Furthermore, deep cultural stigmas and misattributions of cognitive decline to normal ageing or spiritual causes worsen these policy gaps by delaying medical presentation.

National dementia plan

Senegal does not currently have an official national dementia or Alzheimer’s disease strategy.

Upcoming plans

There are calls from healthcare professionals and representatives of ANAMAN for the government to develop a national dementia strategy and to strengthen public health policy on dementia, though no formal plan has yet been announced.

Policy gaps

Legal barriers

The most significant legal barrier is the absence of a national dementia plan, which results in a lack of a coordinated government strategy, dedicated funding, or political priority for Alzheimer’s disease. This top-level policy vacuum means that the public health response is fragmented and that the needs of a growing elderly population with cognitive decline are not being systematically addressed. Generally, policy development for mental health is still limited and a national mental-health strategy has only been described as being in development.

Cultural barriers

Cultural barriers: Dementia and other mental-health conditions in Senegal carry social stigma; family members may delay seeking medical help because symptoms are seen as normal ageing, spiritual problems or a source of shame, which reduces timely diagnosis and support.

Research

Dementia research is supported by key academic institutions including the Institut Pasteur de Dakar and Cheikh Anta Diop University. Senegalese investigators register their research protocols on the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, though there is no centralized, public-facing database for patients. Local clinical and data capacity is primarily built through innovative methods led by teams at Fann National University Hospital, who publish clinic-based studies and case series describing local patient profiles, unique diagnostic criteria, and institutional care pathways.

Selected academic institutions

Institut Pasteur de Dakar Cheikh Anta Diop University

Clinical trials and registries

Senegalese researchers register their studies on the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR): There is no single, centralised public website for patients.

Selected innovative methods

Teams at the Fann National University Hospital (Dakar) and affiliated researchers have published recent case series and clinic-based studies describing patient profiles, diagnosis and care pathways that can help build local data and clinical capacity..

Support

Organizations are listed for informational purposes based on publicly available sources. Inclusion does not necessarily indicate affiliation with or endorsement by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).

Community support is facilitated by foundations like Caritas Senegal and prominent non-governmental associations such as ANAMAN and the Association All United Against Alzheimer’s. ANAMAN actively bridges care gaps by organizing initiatives like the World Alzheimer’s Day conference, which provides education, peer support, and shared community experiences for affected families and health professionals. There are no dedicated media outlets tailored specifically for dementia patients in Senegal; information dissemination relies heavily on ANAMAN’s active social media outreach and sporadic coverage by state-controlled broadcasting networks.

Selected national associations, patient family associations, NGOs:

Selected initiatives

World Alzheimer’s Day conference:ANAMAN has hosted community-oriented events such as its World Alzheimer’s Day conference, which engaged families, health professionals and civil society in discussion and shared experiences about dementia in everyday life. While framed as a conference, this type of public gathering plays an educative and community-building role locally rather than being a top-down policy meeting.

Dedicated media outlets

In Senegal, there are no dedicated media outlets in Senegal exclusively for Alzheimer’s patients.

Understanding the terms

This section explains key terms used throughout the text to help readers better understand the exploration concepts.
Open Term Glossary
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Contents

Understanding the Terms

Terms used throughout this website are explained below.
A

Amyloid-Targeting Therapies (ATT): A class of disease-modifying treatments, primarily monoclonal antibodies, designed to identify and remove amyloid-beta plaques from the brain to slow cognitive and functional decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s. Examples include Lecanemab and Donanemab.

Aphasia: A language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, often seen early in Frontotemporal Dementia.

APOE ε4 Allele: A genetic variant of the Apolipoprotein E gene that is a major risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease; while not a causative gene, its presence increases the likelihood of developing the condition.

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: A class of medications, including Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine, used to treat cognitive symptoms by increasing levels of chemical messengers in the brain.

Advance Directives (DAT): Legal documents, such as Disposizioni Anticipate di Trattamento in Italy, that allow individuals to specify their future medical treatment and care preferences while they still have the capacity to do so.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD): The most common cause of dementia, characterized by a progressive neurodegenerative decline caused by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain.

Amyloid-beta Plaques: Protein fragments that build up in the spaces between nerve cells, disrupting communication and triggering immune responses.

Amyloid PET Scan: A specialized nuclear imaging test that uses radioactive tracers to visualize and measure the density of amyloid-beta plaques in the living brain.

Atrophy: The wasting away or shrinking of brain tissue, often measured via MRI to support a clinical diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s.

B

Biomarkers: Measurable biological indicators, such as proteins found in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, used to identify the underlying pathology of a disease.

Blood Biomarkers: Emerging, less-invasive diagnostic tests that measure specific proteins like p-tau or neurofilament levels in blood plasma to detect Alzheimer’s pathology.

C

CSF Analysis (Cerebrospinal Fluid): A diagnostic procedure involving a lumbar puncture to measure levels of tau and amyloid-beta proteins in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

CT Scan (Computed Tomography): A diagnostic imaging test using X-rays to create detailed cross-sectional images of the brain; used primarily to rule out other causes of cognitive decline such as tumors or strokes.

Clock Drawing Test (CDT): A brief cognitive screening task where a patient is asked to ask to draw a clock face; it evaluates visuospatial and executive function.

Cognitive Screening: The process of using standardized tests to objectively measure an individual’s mental functions, such as memory, orientation, and attention.

Community-based Care: Healthcare and support services provided within the local community, such as daycare centers, home-based nursing, and local support groups, rather than in institutional settings.

Cube Copying Test: A visuospatial assessment task used during neuropsychological evaluations to test a patient’s ability to replicate geometric shapes.

D

Dementia: An umbrella term for a range of neurological conditions characterized by a decline in memory, language, and thinking skills severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Dementia-friendly Society: A community or national environment where citizens and businesses are trained to understand, respect, and support the needs of people living with dementia.

Disease-modifying Therapies (DMTs): A new class of treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies (e.g., Lecanemab), designed to target the underlying biological causes of Alzheimer’s rather than just managing symptoms.

E

Early-Onset Alzheimer’s: A form of the disease that affects people younger than age 65, often linked to the familial genes.

Executive Function: Higher-level mental skills including planning, focusing, and multitasking; these are often what the Clock Drawing Test evaluates.

F

FDG-PET: A type of PET scan that measures glucose metabolism in the brain to identify patterns characteristic of different dementia subtypes.

Familial Alzheimer’s Disease: A rare, genetic form of the disease linked to mutations in specific genes (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2) that typically presents with early-onset symptoms.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD): A type of dementia caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the frontal or temporal lobes, leading to significant changes in behavior, personality, and language.

G

General Practitioner (GP): A primary care physician who acts as the first point of contact and gatekeeper for dementia diagnosis, providing initial assessments and referrals to specialists.

Genotyping: The analysis of an individual’s DNA to identify specific genetic variations associated with dementia risk or causation.

H

Hidden Cost: The indirect economic impacts of dementia, such as the loss of income for family members who must reduce working hours or leave their jobs to provide care.

I

Informal Care / Informal Caregiver: Unpaid care provided by family members, spouses, or friends, which represents the vast majority of long-term support for people living with dementia.

J

Japanese Cognitive Function Test (J-Cog): A specialized cognitive assessment tool used to evaluate mental and functional status in specific research or regional contexts.

L

Lewy Body Dementia (LBD): A type of progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning, and independent function due to abnormal microscopic deposits that damage brain cells.

Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI): A specialized branch of insurance, found in systems like Germany and Singapore, that provides financial subsidies for daily living assistance and nursing care.

M

Memory Clinic: A specialized, often multidisciplinary center focused on the expert diagnosis, management, and treatment of dementia and cognitive disorders.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): An intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia where memory or thinking problems are noticeable but don’t yet prevent daily functioning.

Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): A 30-point standardized questionnaire used to measure cognitive impairment by testing orientation, recall, and attention.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): A cognitive screening tool designed to be more sensitive than the MMSE, particularly for identifying Mild Cognitive Impairment.

MRI Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): A non-invasive technology using magnetic fields to produce detailed images of brain structure; used to assess brain atrophy and rule out secondary causes.

N

National Dementia Plan: A formal government strategy outlining a coordinated response to manage dementia diagnosis, care, research, and awareness at a national level.

National Health Insurance (NHI): A government-funded or regulated healthcare system providing universal or subsidized medical services to citizens.

Neuroimaging: The use of advanced techniques, such as CT, MRI, and PET, to visualize the structure and function of the brain for diagnostic purposes.

Neuroinflammation: The brain’s immune response to damage or protein buildup; while initially protective, chronic inflammation can accelerate neurodegeneration.

O

Out-of-Pocket Costs: Direct payments made by patients or their families for medical services, tests, or care that are not covered by insurance or public subsidies.

P

Preclinical Alzheimer’s: The stage where brain changes (like amyloid buildup) are present but no outward symptoms are yet visible.

S

Synaptic Loss: The destruction of synapses (the gaps where neurons communicate), which is often the strongest correlate to cognitive decline.

T

Tau Tangles: Twisted fibers of a protein called tau that build up inside nerve cells, destroying the cell’s transport system.

V

Vascular Dementia: The second most common type of dementia, caused by conditions that block or reduce blood flow to the brain, like strokes.