ENDSS Strategic Plan 2026-2030: 6.8 billion FCFA to improve the quality of care and human resources

The National School of Health and Social Development (ENDSS) officially launched its first strategic development plan for 2026-2030 this Friday in Dakar. This key document serves as a major roadmap for strengthening training, research, and healthcare services in Senegal's health sector. The ceremony was presided over by Maguette Sylla Niang, Vice-Rector of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD) in charge of academic affairs, who hailed it as "an important milestone in the institution's history."

According to her, this strategic plan is perfectly aligned with the "UCAD Santé" initiative and with national ambitions to strengthen the healthcare system. "Since its creation in 1992, ENDSS has made a significant contribution to training the qualified human resources our country needs to ensure accessible, efficient, and high-quality healthcare services," she stated. The Vice-Rector emphasized that a strategic plan "is not merely an administrative document," but above all "a vision that establishes a framework, defines priorities, mobilizes resources, and builds the future methodically and coherently." She also commended the leadership of the school's Director General and the commitment of faculty, administrative staff, and students to this ambitious institutional transformation.

An ambition to be an African benchmark

Speaking at the event, the Director General of ENDSS emphasized the institution's central role in the national health and social work training system. "Since its creation in 1992, our institution has made a significant contribution to training high-quality human resources, deployed across all healthcare facilities in the country," he stressed. He indicated that this strategic plan, developed collaboratively with all stakeholders and partners, reflects the ambition to elevate ENDSS "to among the best health training institutions in Africa." This document will now serve as a governance, management, and reference tool for all the school's services and departments. It also includes mid-term and final evaluations, as well as annual work plans with close monitoring. The Director General emphasized the need for collective commitment to successfully implement the program. He appealed to the authorities, technical and financial partners, and academic and healthcare institutions to support this initiative.

Four major strategic priorities

With an estimated budget of 6.8 billion FCFA, the ENDSS's 2026-2030 strategic plan is based on four priority areas. The first concerns strengthening leadership and institutional governance, including improving internal coordination, fostering a performance culture, monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring transparency in management. The second area focuses on improving training and research in nursing and midwifery. The school aims to strengthen the accreditation of its programs, develop digital and e-learning capabilities, introduce innovative teaching practices, and promote scientific research. The third area focuses on developing an effective human and financial resources policy through staff increases, regularization of personnel status, improved motivation mechanisms, and the mobilization of external funding. Finally, the fourth area is dedicated to improving access to and the quality of care and services offered to the community. It includes plans for the digitization of health information, the modernization of infrastructure, the strengthening of healthcare services, and the construction of a new educational complex.

However, several major challenges have been identified, including insufficient strategic governance, weak human resources, lack of financial structuring, weak partnerships and the significant need for funding to ensure the effective implementation of the plan.