Project profile — Improving Maternal and Child Health in Burkina Faso

Expected results The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: improved institutional capacity of the health districts and community health services with regards to maternal and child health; increased quality and use of maternal and neonatal health services; and a significant change in nutritional behavior among members (m / f) in particular communities. Progress and results Achieved Results achieved at the end of the project (May 2015): the institutional capacities of the health districts and community health services in terms of maternal and child health were improved through: (1) training sessions, including strategies and tools for capacity building tailored to identified needs which took into account national (Ministry of Health) and international (WHO, UNICEF, etc.) standards; (2) computer training to managers and administrative and financial officers from the health sector and partners, thus forming 13 people (03 women and 10 men) from the health districts (2 per district), the Eastern Regional health Directorate (01), the Office of CECI / WUSC (02), of BURCASO (1), and CICDOC (1) and 31 health workers (22 nurses, 07 midwives and 2 doctors); (3) the distribution of technical medical equipment, logistics, audio visual and culinary demonstration materials (834 grants) according to the priorities identified in the study database. A total of 122 health service centres have benefited from technical and logistical medical devices. The quality and use of maternal health, neonatal and child were increased due to: (1) capacity building of 825 health workers on identified priority themes (reception and communication in health environments, integrated management of child diseases, gender and reproductive health, obstetric, neonatal emergency, management of pediatric emergencies, interpersonal communication, etc.); (2) the implementation of 7 quality assurance cells within the 4 health districts and training of members for their operation. A significant behavior change among community members (m / f) particularly in terms of nutrition was achieved partly thanks to a participatory radio campaign from Farm Radio International with Radio Palabre Koudougou to disseminate 41 awareness themes, in 3 local languages , reaching about 466 000 people from theKoudougou, a district with 505 206 inhabitants; hence 92% of the population. The themes focused on: enriched porridge, breast milk (colostrum), exclusive breastfeeding, dietary laws, the use of health services, etc. Collaboration with other local radio stations in the other three districts resulted in 57 programs and 90 commercials in local languages. The project’s outreach activities in terms of nutrition reached 613,843 people, 75% of them women. These outreach activities focused on: awareness and advocacy with the administrative authorities and traditional leaders about nutrition and diet of the pregnant woman, essential nutrition actions for mothers of children, awareness on exclusive breastfeeding and feeding of pregnant women, the danger signs of pregnancy, childbirth and the benefits of prenatal care, etc. The results of the final evaluation of the project in 2014 showed improvements in the four health districts in relation to the initial situation. For example: (1) breastfeeding at birth practices improved significantly in the four health districts of intervention. An average of 83% of children of the four health districts received colostrum in 2012 against 95% in late 2013; (2) the rate of antenatal care for pregnant women increased in the four health districts: 73% in 2012 against 95% in late 2013 and the post-natal consultation rate improved in all four health districts: from 88% in 2012 to 95% in late 2013. Furthermore the project helped the development of local skills, and better functioning of district health services while improving governance and the involvement of users with regard to health facilities including strengthening community committees’ management of health systems recommended by the Bamako Initiative.