Ouagadougou: Health and civil society actors equipped to remove barriers to access to malaria treatment: The Leo Health District launched a training workshop for health professionals and civil society leaders on Monday, June 29, 2026, in its meeting room. The objective is to strengthen participants' capacity to identify and remove obstacles hindering key populations' access to malaria control interventions.
According to Burkina Information Agency, in Burkina Faso, malaria remains a major public health problem and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly among children under five and pregnant women. Despite the efforts made by the government and its partners, inequalities persist in access to essential interventions. To address these disparities, the Leo Health District brought together its field stakeholders using an adult learning and participatory approach, alternating interactive presentations, group work, and case studies.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Leo District, Dr. Aboubacary Abdou, stated that the training session aims to address the root of the problem. "This initiative aims to identify and remove the obstacles that prevent people from accessing health services, particularly in the fight against malaria," he explained.
Dr. Aboubacary Abdou noted the complexity of the healthcare access issue, which includes geographical, economic, financial, and cultural barriers, often worsened by a lack of health knowledge. He urged participants to use the Malaria Matchbox Tool to better target interventions and to rely on Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to refer isolated populations to healthcare centers.
The workshop was facilitated by a multidisciplinary team, including Issouf Ouedraogo, State Technician in Sanitary Engineering and Head of the Health Promotion and Community Health Service in the district of Leo, Lankoande Andre, Coordinator of the ATTBF Leo, and Nad¨ge Yameogo/Zongo, Special Education Inspector at the DPFS/Sissili.
Facilitator Issouf Ouedraogo highlighted the session's focus on strengthening knowledge of equity and human rights principles. "To effectively equip participants, we emphasized strengthening their knowledge of the principles of equity and human rights. Learners will thus develop key skills in interpersonal communication and active listening," he said. The workshop's effectiveness will be measured through a pre- and post-test system and assessed in the medium term through changes in behavior.
From the perspective of the beneficiaries, the challenges remain significant. The head nurse of the Dabiou Health and Social Promotion Center (CSPS), who participated in the training, described the difficulty of gaining population support due to persistent socio-cultural beliefs. Additionally, a shortage of staff in health facilities poses a significant obstacle to organizing awareness activities.
Despite these challenges, the nurse commended the training's focus on human-centered care. She emphasized that every person deserves the same care and attention, regardless of their background, and pledged to strengthen these practices in health centers. She also called on communities to collaborate with healthcare staff in this shared fight against malaria.