Tékane: PPM, a loyal partner in community health

On 25 July 2026, the Dr Ibrahima Samba Kane Health Centre was inaugurated in Tékane, in south-western Mauritania. It is named after a leading figure in Mauritanian public health who, among other achievements, fought polio at the World Health Organization (WHO). Equipped with 20 beds, a radiology room, a laboratory and a dental surgery, it represents an investment of more than one million euros. The Ministry of Health, a Swiss foundation, the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) and the AHLS association contributed to its funding.

In a letter dated 10 September, the Association Against Tuberculosis and Endemic Diseases (ACTUME) and the Tékane Health Association (AST) thanked their partners, including the PPM Confirel Group.

This support builds on more than ten years of PPM's commitment alongside ACTUME. The laboratory first supplied the medicines for the Health Caravans, which offered free consultations and treatment to thousands of patients. In 2022, an agreement committed PPM International to subsidise the purchase of medicines and the construction of the Tékane community pharmacy, which opened in July that year. The agreement also provided for staff training. In 2024, PPM sponsored a charity evening in Courbevoie, France, in support of the Tékane projects.

The ceremony brought together the Wali (governor) of Trarza, who cut the ribbon, elected officials from across the region and several hundred local residents. Charlotte Faty Ndiaye, WHO Representative in Mauritania, praised an initiative that “will bring health services closer to communities”. Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Thiaw said: “I have never inaugurated anything so important to me. What we are inaugurating today is a promise made to a community.” He hopes the centre will one day become a district hospital.

Project supervisor Mamadou Abdoul Kane looked back on the journey: from the first medical caravans to the community pharmacy and the medicinal plant garden, and now the health centre. “Every contribution counted and helped build this collective achievement,” the letter of thanks emphasises.

The inauguration, however, brings “a new responsibility”: ensuring the centre's long-term future and developing new specialist services. ACTUME and AST are counting on the continued loyalty of their partners. As their letter puts it: “Investing in health means investing in human dignity and in the future.”