Senegal Nurses Launch ‘Night Brigade’ After Spike in Street Births

 

 

In Dakar, a group of young nurses calling themselves the Night Brigade has begun midnight patrols to assist women giving birth on the streets or in overcrowded informal settlements. 

The voluntary team of 14 nurses has handled 23 emergency deliveries in November, driven by rising ambulance delays and electricity cuts affecting clinics.

 A short video posted on Senegalese TikTok accounts last week showed the team helping a woman deliver safely outside a closed maternity centre. 

The Ministry of Health acknowledged the shortage of emergency transport but has not formally partnered with the Brigade. 

Civil society groups say the initiative highlights both community resilience and the widening healthcare gaps in urban West Africa.