Gnagna: The Secretary General of the Gnagna Province, Mendien dit Moussa Soma, presided over a meeting at the High Commission of Bogand to advocate for the national vaccination campaign against measles and rubella, launched in the Bogand health district.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the meeting brought together health stakeholders as well as several local authorities and leaders, with a view to strengthening their commitment to mobilizing populations for the success of this campaign. Data presented by the Bogand health district showed that the province has been facing continuous circulation of the measles virus for several years, marked by successive outbreaks.
Significant outbreaks were recorded in the city of Bogand in 2023, in Pila in 2024-2025, and in the Eastern zone in 2025-2026. The situation remains concerning in 2026, with 998 cases of measles recorded, compared to 835 in 2025. Children under 15 years of age represent 74% of the recorded cases.
In response to this situation, several actions have already been taken, including raising awareness among the population, managing cases in health facilities, two reactive vaccination campaigns targeting children aged 9 to 59 months, and strengthening epidemiological surveillance.
Presiding over the meeting, Mendien dit Moussa Soma called on the various actors to become more involved in raising awareness and mobilizing communities. He stressed the need for a concerted effort to encourage public support for the campaign.
Dr. Moussa Sawadogo, the chief medical officer of the Bogand health district, presented the epidemiological situation and the main challenges of the campaign. He explained that the goal is to interrupt the transmission of measles by protecting the most exposed children through mass vaccination.
The campaign targets all children aged 6 months to 10 years, whether they have already been vaccinated or not. Vaccination is free and takes place in health facilities as well as at outreach sites set up in sectors and villages to bring services closer to the population. It is scheduled from August 6 to 12, 2026.
Dr. Moussa Sawadogo called on administrative, customary and religious authorities, community leaders, and various information channels to play their full role in mobilizing parents. For him, the involvement of these actors is essential to reassure families about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, combat rumors, and facilitate access for vaccination teams to different localities.
However, the campaign faces several challenges, including difficulties in accessing certain populations living in areas with security challenges, the spread of rumors and false information about vaccines, hesitancy or refusal by some parents, and the mobilization of children in remote villages.
The actors were therefore invited to relay awareness messages, to encourage all parents of children aged 6 months to 10 years to have them vaccinated, and to facilitate the work of the teams in the field. The advocacy also focuses on mobilizing financial and logistical resources, including motorcycles, vehicles, and fuel, for the benefit of health facilities.
For the organizers, effective communication remains crucial to reaching all target audiences. It must rely on relevant channels, disseminate precise and convincing messages, and develop strategies adapted to urban areas, peri-urban areas, sites of internally displaced persons, as well as areas that are difficult to access and have security challenges.
Through this campaign, the Bogand health district intends to seize the opportunity to strengthen the protection of children and to permanently interrupt the transmission of measles. For health actors, the success of the operation depends on the collective commitment of authorities, community leaders, partners, health workers, and populations.