Discussions focused on enhancing military healthcare capabilities and human resources to meet operational demands in a challenging security environment.
The second Medical-Surgical Days conference concluded in Niamey on September 4, 2026, after three days of deliberations on current military medicine issues. Over 150 scientific presentations and experience exchanges highlighted the significant challenges facing military healthcare services, particularly within a demanding security context. The event underscored the critical need to bolster the capacities of army health services to effectively support personnel deployed in various operational theaters.
Colonel-Major Dodo Boubacar, Director of Military Health and Social Action, emphasized that strengthening human resources, both in quantity and quality, is paramount for improving military medicine. The conference also hosted the second Congress of the Sahel Military Medicine Network, electing Colonel Toé Romaric of Burkina Faso as its new president for a one-year term. He pledged to focus on expanding the network's reach beyond the Sahel, enhancing member capabilities, and developing university assistance.
In parallel sessions, Army Chief of Staff General Moussa Salaou Barmou met with medical teams from military and operational zones. These discussions aimed to directly address the difficulties encountered by medical personnel in the field and to devise practical solutions aligned with operational realities. Military leaders reaffirmed the importance of considering the concerns of health staff deployed in operational areas to improve their effectiveness and the quality of medical care provided to soldiers.
Why it mattersMilitary personnel and their families are directly affected by the discussions on improving medical care and addressing the challenges faced by health services in operational zones.
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