Burkina Faso

Located in West Africa, Burkina Faso is a Sahelian country with a primarily tropical climate. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 161 among 169 nations in the UNDP Human Development Index (2010). More than 50% of the population lives below the income poverty line (PPP $1.25 a day), and it is estimated that 89% of the population does not have access to improved sanitation.

With a projected population of 16 million, Burkina Faso is endemic for all five targeted neglected tropical diseases (NTDs): lymphatic filariasis (LF), onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), and trachoma. Therefore, most of the country’s population is at risk of infection from at least one of these debilitating diseases, which cause significant morbidity and can impact the country’s development.

Burkina Faso has implemented an integrated NTD control program since 2007. With support from the USAID-funded, FHI 360-managed  END in Africa project, the national NTD control program has achieved coverage on a national scale for all the diseases except trachoma.

Helen Keller International (HKI) is FHI 360’s designated subgrantee in Burkina Faso for END in Africa activities. HKI has had a strong presence in Burkina Faso since 1999, and its large portfolio of programs covers a diverse range of health and nutrition issues that target vulnerable communities, households, and family members.

Achievements in Burkina Faso

  • Completed mapping for all 7 NTDs and scaled up mass drug administration (MDA) to the national level.
  • Over half (55.7%) of the country’s 70 health districts (HDs) have stopped MDA for lymphatic filariasis (LF) after transmission assessment surveys (TAS) found no further need for treatment in 39 HDs.
  • Over half (52.1%) of the HDs with trachoma (25 of 48 HDs) have stopped district-level MDA for trachoma because less than 5% of children ages 1–9 in those HDs currently have the disease.
  • More than 9 out of 10 (91.4%) HDs with onchocerciasis (64 of 70 HDs) have stopped MDA for onchocerciasis.

News Affecting Burkina Faso

Documents and Resources

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