Across Francophone West Africa, all 28 cities supported by The Challenge Initiative (TCI) have now graduated from direct support – marking a major milestone in locally led, sustainable health programming. The final cohort of eight cities in Senegal (Dakar, Guediawaye, Kaolack, M’bour, Pikine, Saint-Louis, Thiès, and Touba) graduated in October 2025, underscoring how local governments and health teams are carrying forward the work with greater ownership, accountability, and confidence.

A new video captures the journey of the last 16 cities – the challenges faced, the innovations embraced, and the tangible progress achieved across cities as they strengthened community health systems and improved services for families. Stories from across the region show how commitments are translated into action through stronger coordination, improved service delivery, and the use of proven, cost-effective approaches. The results reflect not only technical gains, but also a deeper shift toward local leadership and long-term impact.

Dr. Mbaye Diouf, Médecin Chief District Sanitaire de Thiès, discussed the partnership:

With TCI, it has been an extremely important and highly fruitful collaboration, both for the municipality and for the Thiès health district… It particularly emphasized formalizing the city’s contribution to financing health services.

All 28 Francophone West Africa Cities That Have Graduated

(as of October 2025)

Benin

• Abomey-Calavi

• Cotonou

• UCOZ

Burkina Faso

• Bobo-Dioulasso

• Koudougou

• Ouagadougou

Côte d’Ivoire

• Abidjan

• Anyama

• Bouaké

• Cocody Bingerville

• Daloa

• Korhogo

• Mankono

• Seguela

• Vavoua

Niger

• Niamey

Senegal

• Dakar*

• Guediawaye*

• Kaolack*

• Kolda

• M’bour*

• Nioro

• Pikine*

• Saint-Louis*

• Thiès*

• Touba*

• Ziguinchor

Togo

• • Lomé

*Most recent graduates from October 2025

Watch the video below to experience the resilience, pride, and determination that have shaped Francophone West Africa’s TCI journey. These stories show that lasting change happens when communities lead their own progress – and when their vision is trusted, they rise to meet it.