A Scoping Review of Sustainable Development in Senegalese Medical Practice: An African Perspective

Integrating sustainable development principles into medical practice is a global concern. In Africa, this must align with local health priorities and resource constraints. Senegal offers a pertinent context for examining this intersection, but a synthesis of the relevant literature is absent. This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on sustainable development within Senegalese medical practice. Its objectives were to identify key concepts, themes, and knowledge gaps regarding how sustainability is conceptualised and operationalised in this setting. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. A systematic search was conducted across multiple electronic databases. Peer-reviewed articles, reports, and grey literature published in English and French were considered. Screening and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. The literature synthesis revealed a dominant focus on maternal and child health programmes as a primary vehicle for discussing sustainability, frequently linked to workforce training and infrastructure. Sustainability was predominantly framed as the continuity of specific health programmes after the conclusion of external funding. The concept of sustainable development in Senegalese medical practice is narrowly constructed within the extant literature, often reduced to project longevity. A more holistic integration of environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability into clinical care and health systems planning is largely absent. Future research should investigate the operationalisation of broader sustainability principles in clinical decision-making and hospital management. Policymakers should develop frameworks that explicitly link national health strategies with sustainable development goals, moving beyond a project-based focus. Sustainable development, Senegal, medical practice, scoping review, global health, health systems, Africa This review provides a foundational map of the current discourse and identifies critical gaps, offering a basis for future research and policy development aimed at integrating comprehensive sustainability into Senegal's health sector.