The United Nations Population Fund has announced its 2026 UN Population Award recipients, recognising a Senegalese surgeon and a Burundian foundation for their transformative work in reproductive health. The Senegalese surgeon has dedicated his career to repairing obstetric fistula, a debilitating childbirth-related injury that causes urinary or faecal incontinence and affects an estimated 2 million women globally, with the heaviest burden in sub-Saharan Africa. His clinical practice has restored continence and social reintegration to countless women facing profound stigma. Meanwhile, the award-winning Burundian foundation provides integrated maternal and child health support in one of Africa’s most fragile healthcare contexts. Together, these recipients exemplify how clinical innovation combined with grassroots organising can address preventable maternal morbidity in under-resourced regions. The award underscores the critical importance of both specialised surgical expertise and community-based health systems in advancing global maternal health outcomes.
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