In Burkina Faso, the first steps have been taken by the government to stop the spread of COVID-19, with more than 260 cases confirmed in early April. Enfants du Monde supports the Ministry of Health preventive action and response to the epidemic.

In a country where large proportions of the population quite simply do not have access to soap and water, and live in very precarious conditions, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic could be catastrophic.

Prevention rather than cure

The Burkinabe health system is fragile and does not have the capacity to provide specialised care for adequate management of severe cases of COVID-19. Health centres and hospitals will quickly be overwhelmed especially as the intensive care services are few in number and under-equipped. The health services are also unprepared for the identification and follow-up of confined positive COVID-19 cases.

This is why, in collaboration with local partners and especially with the Burkinabe Ministry of Health, Enfants du Monde will focus its efforts, in the weeks to come, on implementing infection prevention measures in the five health programme intervention districts, as well as in their health structures.

In the latter, the priority will be to provide personal protective equipment and sanitising products (masks, hydro-alcoholic gel, hand-washing device with pedal etc) for healthcare providers and users of health centres.

Inform and raise awareness

Enfants du Monde will also support the Ministry of Health to ensure effective communication at community level by, amongst other things, producing communication materials such as posters showing key actions for preventing COVID-19, as well as producing and broadcasting radio programmes in French and local languages.

Listen to radio spot (in French)

Within this framework and in collaboration with the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), the African Public Health Institute (IASP) in Burkina Faso, the Private and Community Initiative for health and the response to HIV / AIDS (IPC/BF) and Terre Innovative, Enfants du Monde has developed a poster aimed at women with key preventive actions (above). The poster is available in French and in Moore.

Continued protection for mothers-to-be and their babies

In addition to preventive action in the COVID-19 epidemic, Enfants du Monde will continue to work with the Ministry of Health to ensure the continuity and accessibility of maternal, newborn and child health services (MNCH), and to help increase knowledge of the COVID-19 effects on MNCH at the national level.

Enfants du Monde relies more than ever on the support of its donors to continue support for its various partners in preventing and combatting the COVID-19 epidemic in countries of the South.

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