SPRINT-Sen: A Third Wave of Surveys in the Matam Region
The third round of quantitative data collection for the SPRINT-Sen project is currently underway in the Matam region, in northeastern Senegal, from June 15 to 22, 2026. Forty previously trained interviewers have been deployed to the study’s four sites: two in urban areas (Matam and Ourossogui) and two in rural areas (Gaol and Taiba), to administer the questionnaires to selected households.
A cohort tracked since June 2025
This wave is part of a longitudinal cohort study: nearly 1,000 households have been followed since June 2025, through successive measurement waves. The participants are women eligible for the study: those who are pregnant or breastfeeding a child under twelve months of age. The cohort is not fixed; it opens to new women as soon as they meet these criteria, and others leave as their children grow older. At each wave, the questionnaire documents the participants’ breastfeeding practices, mental health status, and perception of heat, while also incorporating sociodemographic characteristics and those of the built environment (materials, roofing, type of housing), which are key determinants of thermal exposure within the home.
Comparing Seasons to Isolate the Effect of Heat
The follow-up is conducted across the seasons. The first wave, conducted in June 2025, at the height of the hot season—established baseline measurements: prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), mental health indicators, and perceptions of heat, at a time when thermal stress is at its peak. The second wave, conducted in December 2025 during the cool season, provided a crucial point of comparison by surveying households outside the period of extreme heat. This third wave marks the return of the hot season. By revisiting the same families one year after the start of the follow-up, this wave will enable an analysis of how their circumstances have evolved over time and an assessment of the impact of the community-based intervention, which the project has been implementing over a six-month period since February 2026 (promotion of heat-adapted EBF, support for maternal mental health).
Mental Health Support for Mothers
In parallel with the survey, a mental health support program is being implemented. The questionnaire administered to women includes a mental health assessment section (anxiety, sleep, suicide risk, interpersonal conflicts), conducted using validated tools. When a participant’s responses indicate a high vulnerability score, she is referred, with her consent, to a local support network. In a region lacking dedicated psychological care facilities, this network relies on 32 community workers and 15 healthcare providers, trained by Fatou Khouma, a specialist in community mental health. The most concerning cases are closely monitored and referred for appropriate care (outside the region), in coordination with teams from the Matam health district.
A data collection effort supported by the district and led by the communities
This data collection relies on two essential sources of support. First, the support of the management team at the Matam Health District, a project partner since its launch in 2024, which facilitates and assists with the fieldwork. Second, the commitment of the communities, and foremost that of the women, who, with each round of data collection, agree to meet with us and complete the questionnaires. This participation is accompanied by high expectations for the project, in a context where families, exposed to extreme heat, face real-life challenges. Collecting this data rigorously addresses precisely this need: to have reliable data on maternal, child, and mental health indicators in order to bring these realities to the attention of local, regional, and national authorities.
