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Burkina Faso News

Sister Marie Blanche Kambire: serving the most vulnerable

Nanoro, Burkina Faso – Sister Marie Blanche Kambire has more than 20 years of experience as a nurse. She lives in Nanoro, a rural area 85 kilometres west of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital. A Catholic nun, she has dedicated her life to serving others, particularly the children she has been caring for over the past 12 years at the Nanoro Medical Centre, where she heads the paediatric unit.

Unconditional commitment 

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Broadening access to hypertension care in Burkina Faso

Ouagadougou – Domdasse Adama could barely walk, with his left side paralysed and reliant on a cane. “But thanks to the support and treatment I received for hypertension, I can now walk on my own, and even ride a bicycle for several kilometres," he says.

Adama's journey to recovery from impaired mobility due to hypertension was far from easy. In the bustling town of Gana in central Burkina Faso, where medical resources were limited, his struggle to receive timely and effective care was a common challenge. 

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Self-injectable contraception successes

"My husband was against contraceptive," recalls Aïssa*. She recently gave birth to triplets. She has four older children, the youngest barely two years old. "Since the triplets, the financial burden has grown so much that it's been easier to persuade him," she adds.
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Smoking ban delivers fresh air to Burkina Faso cinemas

Ouagadougou – Pierre Ouedraogo, who has worked at the Neerwaya cinema in the capital Ouagadougou for some 30 years, never tires of extolling the benefits of the ban on smoking in public places. Now his establishment offers a healthier environment for everyone, especially those with respiratory conditions, allergies or smoke sensitivity.

The ban on smoking in public places and on public transport, which has been in force for over 10 years, has made a big difference, he says.

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In Burkina Faso, the "threat not perceived by communities" of antimicrobial resistan...

In Burkina Faso, the Observatory for Quality and Safety of Care, a non-governmental organisation, has set itself the objective of monitoring threats to safety of care, including the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Through its approaches based on advocacy, communication and awareness, the organisation tries to stimulate the consciousness of decision makers and communities. Dr Zakaria Gansane, epidemiologist and President of the Observatory, tells us why AMR is a serious public health problem.
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Review of maternal deaths and the continuity of essential reproductive, maternal, an...

In the context of the double burden of COVID-19 and Humanitarian Emergencies in the Sahel region, analysis of data from the official weekly telegram-letter (TLOH) of the Ministry of Health's showed an unusually high number of institutional maternal deaths reported in this region during the four weeks (Week 16 to Week 19) of the year 2020, compared to data from the same period in 2019.  

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Tackling COVID-19 fear and stigma

Hesitancy to get tested, avoiding contact tracers or wariness of what the neighbours will say: the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a variety of reactions among some Ouagadougou residents that have complicated timely response.
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