Bindé Hosts Workshop to Discuss Health Care Access for Vulnerable Groups

BINDÉ — On Friday, February 16, 2024, the associations Zak La Yilguemdé (AZLY) and Teel Taaba, in partnership with the Permanent Secretariat of Non-Governmental Organizations (SPONG), conducted a workshop in Bindé, Zoundwéogo province, to present findings from a recent study on health care access challenges faced by vulnerable populations, especially women and children under five, within the Manga health district.

According to Burkina Information Agency, project manager at SPONG, the workshop aimed to share the data collected by Health Monitoring Committees (CVS) regarding the access difficulties to health services. This initiative is part of a broader community monitoring project that ran from 2021 to December 2023, supported technically and financially by UNICEF. The project covered four communes within the Manga health district and extended to all 31 communes across nine health districts in six regions of the country.

The data revealed several critical issues affecting health care access for the target groups, including medicine shortages, poor hygiene in some health facilities, and a lack of sufficient health personnel. Mamounata Congo, the prefect and president of the Special Delegation of Bindé, highlighted specific local challenges such as inadequate state funding for health and the municipality’s limited budget for health products.

Doctor Inoussa Sawadogo, Chief Medical Officer of the Manga health district, acknowledged these difficulties but emphasized ongoing efforts within health facilities to overcome them. He also expressed support for the workshop and the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in raising awareness and advocating for improvements in health care services across the country.

Doctor Oubda announced an upcoming meeting with members of the Transitional National Assembly to discuss the findings and advocate for solutions to the identified health care access challenges. She emphasized the importance of continuing the work of the CVS and organizing regular accountability dialogues to foster local solutions and not solely rely on external interventions.