The reproductive
health of the people of Burkina Faso is reflected in these basic health
indicators: the average woman gives birth to nearly 7 children, the
country's maternal mortality rate is 980 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
(versus 12 in the United States), and the percentage of women using
contraception is 12 percent. The national family planning program was
launched in 1985. The
Population Council has worked extensively in Burkina Faso and
established a Council office in Ouagadougou, the nation’s capital, in 1994. As the Burkinabe government expands maternal and child health and family planning
services, the Council is studying ways to develop a cost-effective
program capable of satisfying demand in a largely rural population and to
integrate other reproductive health services into the existing system.
Examples of the
Council's work in Burkina Faso include:
- In collaboration with the
International
HIV/AIDS Alliance, the Council's Horizons program conducted a study to
examine the participation of people living
with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in community-based organizations that offer HIV/AIDS
prevention, care, and support services. The study found that different models and levels
of involvement by PLHA in the organizations' activities can affect both the
program effectiveness and the health and quality of life of the PLHA themselves. An
evaluation
of the Burkina Faso component of this multi-country project was conducted in 2002.
- Technical assistance was provided to
the Division of Family Health of the Ministry of Health to establish an innovative
community-based project in Bazèga province, a rural area located 45 kilometers south of
Ouagadougou. The Bazèga Community
Health Laboratory started to offer reproductive health services in October 1996 to a
population of 30,000 in 40 villages.
- The Council conducted the first situation analysis of the national family planning
program in Burkina Faso in 1992, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, followed by
a second analysis in 1995.
- Population Council staff, in
collaboration with Plan International and the Association pour la Promotion de la
Jeunesse Africaine et le Developpement (APJAD), conducted a study on the acceptability
of the female condom among Burkinabe youth.
- The Council serves as the executing
agency of a large, three-year project that aims to: 1) reinforce the capacity and
coordination of nongovernmental organizations working in reproductive health,
2) undertake research and provide support to the Centres de Production et de
Formation pour Jeunes Filles commonly known as the Mille Jeunes Filles project, and 3)
conduct operations research in the private-sector provision of reproductive health
services.
- The first effort to introduce
postabortion care services in francophone West Africa was undertaken by the Council in two
pilot sites in Burkina Faso. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of
establishing services to improve clinical and postabortion care. Results from the study
demonstrate that the introduction of a more comprehensive approach to postabortion care
services, family planning counseling, and services and referral to other reproductive
health services offers significant potential benefits.
Selected Projects
Publications/Resources on
Burkina Faso
See Also
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What's New |
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"Girls' Adolescence in Burkina Faso: A Pivot Point for Social Change"—a
new report from the Population Council—presents
research findings on the social and economic contexts of Burkinabé
girls' lives and proposes a forward-looking agenda. (PDF)
Stay Informed
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Publications/Resources |
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“Analysis of the evolution of the practice of female
genital mutilation/cutting in Burkina Faso" (2008) (PDF)
"Girls' adolescence in Burkina Faso: A pivot point for
social change" (2007) (PDF)
"Addressing the needs of married adolescent girls in
Burkina Faso" (2007) (PDF)
(PDF en
français)
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