As members of Countdown 2015, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) and Equilibres and Populations (E&P) jointly organised a week-long study tour to Burkina Faso held from 5-11 April 2009 that focused on country’s efforts in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.

 The study tour was hosted by the Ouagadougou office of Equilibres & Populations which works at reducing maternal deaths and suffering in sexual and reproductive health by increasing efforts to secure a comprehensive, sustained response to maternal health issues. The study tour offered a deep insight into Burkina Faso’s demographic challenges, and enabled the Delegation to visit programmes, assess needs and remaining challenges in the fight for access to care, gender equity, institutional efficiency and aid effectiveness. The study tour provided an invaluable experience on new aid modalities and strategies in place to tackle health problems. The tour also enabled participating Parliamentarians to gain first-hand experience of the reality of the situation in a developing country.

At the beginning of the week participants were received by the Burkinabe Parliamentary Network on Population and Development and the UNFPA mission in Burkina Faso where they learned more about the country’s demographic situation and the national legislative framework on population and development as it stands today. The Delegation started by visiting a community project in Tanguin supported by the French Movement for Family Planning (MFPF) and focusing on raising awareness amongst women, and particularly mothers and children, about the use of contraceptives and family planning methods. The Delegation was very impressed by the women’s community work as well as their strategies and mobilisation efforts for reducing malaria burden in the district through peer training and group meetings. Participants recognised that women’s groups and volunteers are vital partners in local community based development initiatives. Participants expressed concerns with regards to the affordability of alternative contraceptives such as the female condom.

The Delegation also visited the District Hospital in Ouagadougou and could notice the importance of medical and health supplies as well as of hygiene and human resources. After visiting the Hospital’s maternity ward, EPF’s Delegation regretted that the hospital does not have any blood bank at its disposal but was pleased by the availability skilled birth attendants and obstetric services. Doctor Ouedraogo, an obstetrical surgeon in the hospital, explained how they implement government funds to help reduce patient fees and care for the ones who cannot afford to pay. Being raised as a major concern, Parliamentarians emphasized the need to ensure sufficient coverage of such quality services among hospitals in Burkina Faso for covering all areas and enabling access for every pregnant women intending to go the hospital for pre-natal consultations. Expressing concerns about the sustainability of its sterilization system (autoclave often out of use), the medical staff of the CMA (Medical Center with Chirurgical Antenna) raised parliamentarians understanding in the medical, financial and environmental complexity of large-scale development of RH services.

In addition, the delegation was invited by the Italian Association for Women in Development (AIDOS) and its local partners at the Centre pour le Bien-être des Femmes et la prevention des mutilation genitals ´Gisèle Kambou’ (CBF) which won the Health category at the prestigious World Architecture Festival Awards in 2008.

The visit aimed to show parliamentarians the extent to which AIDOS and local NGOs are involved in developing a multidisciplinary approach (through medical, judicial, psychological and vocational assistance) to sustain women’s welfare and empowerment in a sector still suffering from poor access to some basic commodities such as electricity.

Traveling to the North Province of Burkina Faso, the Parliamentary Delegation received in-depth presentation of the regional strategic plan and was impressed by the collection and the reliability of the data presented. After visiting the rural maternity ward of Boursouma, the Parliamentary Delegation was faced with the lack of health workers in the region, the importance of skills transfer and the challenge decentralisation is posing to the general strengthening of the national health system. A visit to the Province Governor as well as to the Minister in charge of relations with the Parliament preceded a field visit in the provincial capital (Ouahigouya) on infrastructural projects funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency. While the province suffers from drought and chronic floods, the members of the Delegation were interested in the links between maternal health, RH services and supplies and the environmental pressures of various kinds that impoverished vulnerable local populations.

Meetings were held with the Ministries of Health, the Promotion of Women, Social Action and National Solidarity, Youth and Employment as well as with the French and Dutch embassies, the EC Delegation, the French, Swiss and German Development Cooperation Agencies, along with extraordinary active civil society organisations towards women and youth. These meetings enabled the EPF Delegation to welcome policies which mainstream gender equity and promote awareness-raising on family planning in national health programmes. Despite some progress, it was highlighted that there are still remaining challenges and that the Burkinabe population needs more support. The Parliamentary Delegation also had the chance to exchange views and share best practices with the coordinator of the Sanitary Development Support Plan during the Delegation’s visit to the Embassy of the Netherlands where a strong emphasis was put on the availability of medical supplies and in particular on reproductive health supplies.

At the end of the week during the press conference, Parliamentarians observed that despite progress made, prioritizing health in Burkina Faso is still facing some key administrative, financial and management challenges. Parliamentarians deplored the chronic lack of access to RH supplies (on both grounds of availability and affordability) and consequently committed to report back on these challenges to their own Government and Parliament in order to help try and shape future development aid policies according to the expressed needs of the population for better access to family planning and modern contraceptive methods.

The members of EPF Delegation included Hon. Danielle Bousquet, MP and EPF Executive Committee Member (France, Socialist Party), Hon. Martine De Maght, MP member of the Belgian Foreign Affairs Committee (Belgium, Liberal Party), Senator Francesca Marinaro (Italy, Democratic Party), Hon. Genevieve Gaillard et Philippe Tourtelier, MPs (France, Socialist Party), Hon. Thérèse Frösch, MP (Switzerland, Green Party), Hon. Antonia Garcia Valls and Hon. Carmen Monton Gimenez, MP Members of the Spanish Equality Committee (Spain, Socialist Party).