The Regional Hospital has been a co-operation partner of the Freundeskreis Tambacounda e.V. since 1993. The hospital includes six different wards: a surgical ward, an internal medicine ward, a pediatrics ward, a maternity ward, an ophthalmic ward, and an emergency room. The hospital also has a pharmacy, where patients can purchase and pick up their medication.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 140 Million circumcised women worldwide. The practice is spread throughout 28 African countries, mostly in northern, eastern and western Africa, but also in some Asian states and the Middle East.

There are various forms of circumcision that involve the removal of parts of the female genitalia for no medical purpose. In 1995 the WHO categorized the different forms of genital mutilation. From clitoridectomy, considered the “least harmful” type, to excision, the most widespread, and finally to the most devastating form known as infibulation. As a result, many girls and women suffer from severe, often chronic health problems, including pregnancy and birth complications, which can be fatal, and mental disorders.

(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/index.html)

Currently, the toilets in Tambacounda consist of latrines placed directly over the waste pit, which is used until it becomes full. Human feces endanger the purity of the groundwater, as the well is only several meters away from the toilets. This poor hygienic condition is the cause of many infectious diseases, which is one of the reasons for the high infant and child mortality rate.