A Senegalese surgeon who has dedicated his career to restoring the health and dignity of women living with obstetric fistula, and a Burundian foundation supporting vulnerable women and children, have been named the winners of the 2026 United Nations Population Award.
The UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA , announced on Wednesday that the individual award will go to Professor Serigne Magueye Gueye of Senegal, while the institutional prize will be presented to the Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza of Burundi.
The annual award recognises outstanding contributions to breakthroughs which boost reproductive health and solve population growth-related challenges facing communities on the ground.
For decades, Professor Gueye has treated women living with obstetric fistula, a devastating but largely preventable childbirth injury that can leave survivors incontinent, isolated and rejected by their families and communities.
Alongside performing life-changing surgery, he has trained surgeons from more than 45 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, helping expand access to specialist care throughout the region.
Commitment to dignity
Speaking to UN News, Professor Gueye said preventing new cases remains the greatest challenge. He called for stronger health systems and universal access to emergency obstetric care, including timely caesarean sections, saying these are essential if obstetric fistula is to be eliminated by 2030.
"Strengthening health systems in general, scaling up emergency obstetric care, to me is the key to eliminate fistula," he said.
He also stressed that treatment does not end with surgery. Communities, he said, have a crucial role in identifying women who often remain hidden because of community stigma, supporting them through treatment and helping them rebuild their lives through social and economic reintegration.
Professor Gueye's commitment extends beyond the operating theatre. To improve access to healthcare for underserved communities, he transformed his own home into the Aristide Mensah Health Center in Yeumbeul, on the outskirts of Dakar, and has long championed greater awareness of obstetric fistula across West Africa.
Reflecting on receiving the award, he described it as a recognition of the many people who had supported his work over the years rather than an individual achievement.
"I don't take it as personal recognition. To me, it is collective work," he told UN News, adding that the honour encourages him to continue giving back to neglected and underserved communities.
He also had a message for young health professionals, urging them to develop their skills with humility and resilience while reaching beyond urban hospitals to serve remote populations where healthcare is often scarce.
Listen to the full interview here:
At the ceremony at UN Headquarters, in a message delivered by UNFPA's Deputy Executive Director Diene Keita, Secretary-General António Guterres said demographic shifts were reshaping the world and required a collective response, "particularly as they impact progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the Pact for the Future".
"To attain true demographic resilience, we must put the rights, dignity and well-being of all people at the heart of our development efforts," he said. 'This is not just a matter of policy, but also a moral imperative", Mr. Guterres said in his message.
Congratulating the laureates, the Secretary-General praised Professor Gueye's "clinical excellence and humanitarian dedication" and the Burundian foundation's work to improve maternal health and build local capacity.
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Gueye said the award was the "recognition of the collective effort of making health the foundation of our societies", accepting it "on behalf of all of those who think that a truly resilient population is a population that has health, autonomy and dignity".
Throughout his acceptance speech, Professor Gueye recounted the stories of women whose lives had been transformed through treatment, underscoring that every operation represents far more than a surgical procedure. "Behind each operation, there is a story," he said, adding that the true measure of success is giving women "back their lives" and offering patients in neglected and remote communities a second chance to regain their health, dignity and livelihoods.
Expanding access to health care in Burundi
The Fondation Bonne Action Umugiraneza works to expand access to healthcare, education and social support for vulnerable women, children and families across Burundi. In 2022, it opened the Polyclinique Umugiraneza in Gitega Province, bringing specialist services, including paediatrics, emergency care and fertility treatment, closer to rural communities. The foundation also supports care for women living with obstetric fistula, life-saving surgery for children with congenital conditions and services for survivors of gender-based violence.
Speaking at the ceremony, Burundi's First Lady, Angeline Ndayishimiye, who leads the Bonne Action Umugiraneza Foundation, said that receiving this recognition from the United Nations was "both a privilege and a responsibility."
"It inspires us to pursue our mission to even greater determination", she added.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 1981, the United Nations Population Award honours individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health. This year marks the 41st presentation of the award.
