Niger is placed second-to-last in the United Nations’ Human Development Index rankings. As is the case throughout the Sahel region, numerous armed factions are active, which presents an ongoing security risk. A large proportion of the inhabitants live in the vast, poverty-stricken desert regions. Furthermore, the country has only one doctor for every 16,000 inhabitants.
Our impact in 2025
Niger
Since
2007
Local representative
Dr Mahamadou Bassirou Souleymane
Diseases treated
People diagnosed during the year
Tuberculosis
5 117
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
90
Patients who received socio-economic support
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
83
- Ministry of Public Health, Population and Social Affairs
- National tuberculosis control programme (PNLT), Regional public health departments of Tillabéri and Maradi
- Institute for Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Abdou Moumouni de Niamey University, the Global Fund for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, national and international NGOs
Niger: an exemplar of the fight against tuberculosis
Despite the many challenges facing the country, Niger can consider itself an exemplar where its approach to tuberculosis is concerned. Thanks to strong partnerships with the national TB programme, the Global Fund and other partners, Damien Foundation has been successful in reducing the occurrence of tuberculosis by 17% between 2015 and 2021. During the same period, the TB recovery rate has increased to 84%.
Niger is a pioneer in implementing the shortened nine-month regime for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. As a result, in 2021 the country’s recovery percentage for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis was 86%, well above the global average of 60%. This demonstrates that the treatment for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis is very well coordinated, with excellent follow-up towards the patient. In partnership with the World Health Organization, Damien Foundation Niger has also published an international guide for pharmacovigilance in order to effectively monitor and remedy the side effects of multi-drug-resistant TB treatments.
