ObjectiveTo estimate population-wide hepatitis B and C seroprevalence using dried blood spot samples acquired for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) surveillance as part of the 2010–2011 Demographic and Health Survey in Burkina Faso.MethodsWe used the database acquired during the multistage, clustered, population-based survey, in which 15 377 participants completed questionnaires and provided dried blood spot samples for HIV testing. We extracted sociodemographic and geographic data including age, sex, ethnicity, education, wealth, marital status and region for each participant. We performed hepatitis B and C assays on 14 886 HIV-negative samples between March to October 2015, and calculated weighted percentages of hepatitis seroprevalence for each variable.FindingsWe estimated seroprevalence as 9.1% (95% confidence interval, CI: 8.5–9.7) for the hepatitis B surface antigen and 3.6% (95% CI: 3.3–3.8) for hepatitis C virus antibodies, classifying Burkina Faso as highly endemic for hepatitis B and low-intermediate for hepatitis C. The seroprevalence of hepatitis was higher in men than in women, and varied significantly for both with age, education, ethnicity and region. Extremely high HCV-Ab seroprevalence (13.2%; 95% CI: 10.6–15.7) was identified in the Sud-Ouest region, in particular within the youngest age group (15–20 years), indicating an ongoing epidemic.ConclusionOur population-representative hepatitis seroprevalence estimates in Burkina Faso advocate for the inclusion of hepatitis serological tests and risk factor questionnaire items in future surveys, the results of which are crucial for the development of appropriate health policies and infection control programmes.

We conducted a prospective evaluation of the “Rapid Scale-Up” (RSU) program in Burkina Faso, focusing on the integrated community case management (iCCM) component of the program. We used a quasi-experimental design in which nine RSU districts were compared with seven districts without the program. The evaluation included documentation of program implementation, assessments of implementation and quality of care, baseline and endline coverage surveys, and estimation of mortality changes using the Lives Saved Tool. Although the program trained large numbers of community health workers, there were implementation shortcomings related to training, supervision, and drug stockouts. The quality of care provided to sick children was poor, and utilization of community health workers was low. Changes in intervention coverage were comparable in RSU and comparison areas. Estimated under-five mortality declined by 6.2% (from 110 to 103 deaths per 1,000 live births) in the RSU area and 4.2% (from 114 to 109 per 1,000 live births) in the comparison area. The RSU did not result in coverage increases or mortality reductions in Burkina Faso, but we cannot draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the iCCM strategy, given implementation shortcomings. The evaluation results highlight the need for greater attention to implementation of iCCM programs.

Background: In Burkina Faso, efforts have been made between 2010 and 2015 to address the low levels of contraceptive utilization. However, the socio-cultural context in the country still reinforces traditional gender roles, low status for women, and a strong desire for larger families. The objectives of this study are twofold: 1) to analyze the trends in reversible modern contraceptive prevalence, and 2) to identify the factors influencing the use of reversible modern contraceptives, comparing the urban and rural areas. Data and Methods: We conducted an analysis using data from Burkina Faso sourced from the 2010 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the 2015 Demographic and Health Module (DHM). The 2010 DHS received responses from 17,087 women aged 15 -49 years, achieving a response rate of 98.4%. Similarly, the 2015 DHM garnered responses from 11,504 women aged 15 -49 years, with a response rate of 96.6%. Results: Our findings revealed that while advancements were observed in urban areas, the majority of underprivileged women still faced limited access to modern contraception. Moreover, we did not observe any significant interaction effects between age and parity with the year of the survey. However, there was a slight decrease in the impact of marital status, although the difference between married and non-married women remained significant in 2015. It is noteworthy that family planning discussions and approval continued to play crucial roles. Conclusion: The initiatives to subsidize contraceptive costs and establish mobile clinics have proven inadequate in facilitating rural, impoverished, and young women's access to modern contraception.