Dahra Djoloff, Louga Region, Senegal
I am a Nurse Supervisor working in primary care in West Africa, with professional experience across Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. In my current role in a rural primary care setting in Senegal, I coordinate clinical and community health services serving approximately 45,530 people and managing around 500 consultations per month. My operational contributions include: ā Structured hypertension follow-up for 50 patients ā Organization of approximately 25 internal capacity-building sessions (2025). These frontline responsibilities have reinforced a structural observation: nurses are central to community health delivery in Africa, yet their leadership role in governance and decision-making remains underutilized. My work focuses on strengthening community health systems by promoting structured nurse leadership at facility and district levels. As Founder and Coordinator of ANAMIR-Network (African Nurses and Midwives for Rural Health), I facilitate professional dialogue and collaborative learning across 7 African countries, engaging more than 150 members to advance community-based nurse leadership. I believe sustainable primary care reform in Africa requires embedding nurse leadership within governance structures not only within service delivery. Open to collaboration and system-level dialogue across Africa. š© [email protected]
My engagement with APASAT-ONG reflects my conviction that health cannot be separated from the environment and community realities. As a nurse and community health advocate, I contribute to initiatives focused on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and the One Health approach, recognizing the strong connection between environmental factors and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Within APASAT, I collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to design awareness campaigns, support advocacy efforts, and promote community-based interventions aimed at strengthening prevention and sustainable health solutions. This role allows me to align clinical experience with public health action, bridging individual care and community impact.
ANAMIR was created from a simple observation: nurses and midwives working in rural and semi-rural areas often face similar challenges, yet rarely have structured spaces to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another. With this vision, I initiated ANAMIR as a Pan-African community health network, bringing together health professionals committed to improving care, prevention, and leadership at the community level. My role involves coordinating the early development of the initiative, supporting member engagement, facilitating discussions around rural health challenges, and encouraging learning, leadership, and collaboration among frontline healthcare workers. Through ANAMIR, my goal is to contribute to stronger community health practices, peer support, and sustainable professional networks across Africa.
Working in a rural health center serving low-income communities has deeply shaped my understanding of community health. In my role as Nurse Supervisor, I support the daily coordination of clinical activities, accompany nursing staff, and help ensure continuity of care and patient safety. Beyond routine services, I am actively involved in community-oriented initiatives, including health education and prevention activities such as cervical cancer screening and awareness programs. This experience has strengthened my interest in community health, leadership, and practical public health approaches rooted in local realities. It also reinforced my belief that effective healthcare in rural settings requires organization, teamwork, and strong community engagement.
- Provided pre- and post-operative care, wound management, medication administration, and patient support. - Conducted nursing consultations with empathy, ethics, and spiritual encouragement for patients. - Worked in a multicultural and faith-based medical environment supporting diverse patient needs.
- Managed daily operations of a rural health post: consultations, childbirth assistance, vaccination, and emergency care. - Supervised health staff and organized daily service activities. - Monitored stock, reporting, patient records, and community mobilization activities.