Burkina Faso Evaluates National COVID-19 Response Plan for Future Crisis Preparedness

OUAGADOUGOU – In a concerted effort to bolster preparedness for future health crises, Burkina Faso’s national evaluation commission held a workshop on Friday to critically assess the nation’s COVID-19 response plan. This initiative is part of a broader global coalition aimed at examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and deriving valuable insights for handling similar challenges in the future.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the first vice-president of the national evaluation commission, during the evaluation’s launch in Ouagadougou, the assessment seeks to scrutinize the effectiveness and efficiency of the strategies and methodologies deployed in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to ensure that future crises are managed more effectively. Kobyagda emphasized the independent nature of this evaluation, conducted by the national consultancy office Nazan. This office has been tasked with analyzing the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the government’s actions during the pandemic.

The evaluation process involves interactions with all stakeholders involved in the COVID-19 response, including the executive secretariat, the five sub-committees, and the communities affected by the crisis. Kobyagda further noted that this evaluation aligns with the objectives of the global coalition to assess the impact of COVID-19, highlighting the World Bank’s role in facilitating this initiative.

Miché Ouédraogo, representing the World Bank’s global initial assessment within the coalition, stated that the coalition’s aim is to aid countries in evaluating and learning from their pandemic response measures. The ultimate objective is to enable governments to take more effective actions in future crises by strengthening their evaluation capacities and providing conclusive data for decision-making in policy implementation.

As part of the evaluation’s findings, Kobyagda pointed out, it will be crucial for the government to address any identified shortcomings to ensure a more robust response system for future health emergencies.

Burkina Faso reported a total of 22,453 COVID-19 cases with 396 deaths from March 9, 2020, to April 30, 2023, underscoring the significance of this assessment in paving the way for improved public health strategies.