Pô Hosts Dialogue on Enhancing Health Service Access for Women and ChildrenNagbingou Community Bolsters Local Administration with Equipment and Financial AidNiger Security Forces Seize Nearly 2,000 Explosives from Motorcyclists in Dosso Region

PÔ, Nahouri Province — A crucial gathering aimed at addressing and improving the access of women and children to health services was held on February 24, 2024, in Pô, within the province of Nahouri. The event, organized by the Youth Association for the Promotion of Orphans (AJPO), sought to engage community members in identifying and overcoming barriers to health services for these vulnerable groups.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the framework for community dialogue facilitated by AJPO was part of a broader initiative to ensure universal health coverage in Burkina Faso. This initiative is aligned with global efforts to provide quality health services to all individuals without financial hardship, focusing on removing accessibility obstacles and enhancing the quality of health systems. The event underscored the importance of civil society’s role in monitoring access to health services through community engagement.

The Permanent Secretariat of Non-Governmental Organizations (SPONG), in partnership with UNICEF, has been actively involved in a community monitoring project. This project targets the access of vulnerable groups to health services across 31 municipalities, including Pô and Tiébélé, representing the Nahouri province. The initiative’s main goal, highlighted during the February 24 meeting, was to collaboratively identify solutions to the challenges faced by women and children in accessing health services.

During the dialogue, the head nurse of the urban CSPS (Community Health Service Provider) of Pô, Abou-Dramane Bila, presented on the current dysfunctions within the health service access framework. Subsequently, the thirty participants engaged in an analysis of performance indicators in maternal and child health. They developed micro plans to tackle issues relating to the accessibility of health services for women and children in their communities, offering various suggestions and recommendations for improvement.

Doctor Daouda Bamba, the chief medical officer of the Pô health district and chair of the meeting, highlighted a significant issue in the district: a shortage of medicines due to delays in the reimbursement of funds allocated for free services. He expressed appreciation for the selection of his district for the citizen watch initiative led by AJPO and the commitment from stakeholders to enhance the monitoring of health service access.

The meeting concluded with positive feedback from the thirty participants, who felt their contributions had laid the groundwork for actionable strategies to improve community access to health services. The event was supported by SPONG, with project manager Nadine Diao/Oubda representing the organization, and its partner UNICEF, marking a significant step toward addressing health service accessibility issues in the region.

NAGBINGOU – In a significant show of solidarity and support, the active forces of Nagbingou, in the province of Namentenga, provided essential office equipment and a financial donation of 500,000 FCFA to their Special Delegation, now operating from Kaya due to insecurity. The donations were made on Thursday, February 22, 2024, in response to a plea from the Special Delegation, which has been facing operational challenges since their relocation.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Zambendé Théodore Sawadogo, the contributions included ten boxes of reams, a laptop, two printer anchors, two registers, six packs of pens, five packs of cardboard folders and under folders, along with the cash donation. This support comes in the wake of the town hall’s ransacking by armed groups, which significantly hampered the local administration’s ability to function, particularly in civil status operations.

The gesture reflects the community’s prioritization of material support to enable the prefecture to resume its work securely. Sawadogo highlighted the community’s ongoing efforts to secure suitable premises for the administration’s operations, emphasizing the commitment to informing and delivering further support as needed.

The president of the Special Delegation (PDS) of Nagbingou, Noël Sanou, expressed profound gratitude for the donations, noting their crucial role in enabling his team to fulfill their assigned missions. He assured that the equipment and funds would be utilized ethically and with accountability, promising that the expenditure for acquiring service premises would adhere to public expenditure standards, with supporting documents provided as proof of accountability.

BOBOYE, Niger – In a significant operation in the Dosso region of Niger, security forces intercepted two individuals on motorcycles, seizing 1,980 explosive devices. The operation, conducted by the Boboye mixed patrol, was under the command of the national guard’s commander, Harouna Dalimane. The governor of the Dosso region announced the seizure on Monday.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the patrol encountered the individuals in Fabidji (Boboye) around 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 25. The explosives were intended to be transported to Niamey, the capital of Niger. During the operation, one of the suspects managed to escape. The confiscated explosives were presented to General Iro Oumarou, the governor of the Dosso region, the following morning.

The governor expressed concern over the increasing trend of criminals using ammunition and explosives, often disguising them as fuel in cans, to conduct illicit activities including drug trafficking. He lamented the challenge posed by such tactics, noting that terrorists exploit local populations to further their operations. In light of these developments, he urged the public to cooperate with defense and security forces and to remain vigilant, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating the gravity of the situation to the world.

This incident follows recent discoveries on February 19 and 20, where large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and war materials were found at the headquarters of the Eucap Sahel Project and in a villa in the Tchangarey district, previously occupied by French forces, highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.