Burkina Faso: Health diplomacy, when the country distinguished itself brilliantly at the World Health Assembly
The Minister of Health, Dr. Robert Kargougou, presented the remarkable outcomes of Burkina Faso’s participation in the 75th session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa. This meeting, which brought together forty-seven Ministers of Health, provided the country with an opportunity to affirm its leadership and commitment to African health sovereignty.
During the discussions, Minister Kargougou expressed gratitude to national authorities and regional partners, while emphasizing the importance of the WHO’s coordinating role, which, he stressed, must be guided by better consideration of government priorities. “The self-determination of States in defining their health policies is fundamental”, he insisted.
Burkina Faso stood out through its active contribution to thematic debates and the quality of its exchanges with several partners. The Minister highlighted the government’s significant financial efforts, allocating 12% of the national budget to health. These investments are already yielding results: free screening for precancerous cervical lesions, the implementation of echo-mammography, and large-scale awareness campaigns. “In eight months of mobile clinic operations, more than two million women have been educated on breast self-examination, over fifteen thousand have received echo-mammographies, and more than one hundred thousand women, in both urban and rural areas, have been screened for precancerous lesions,” he noted.
On the diplomatic front, Burkina Faso strengthened its influence by representing Francophone and Lusophone African countries on the Gavi Board of Directors, where health and vaccine sovereignty were highlighted. Among the major decisions of this session, the head of delegation cited the resolution on strengthening rehabilitation services and the one on intensifying the fight against malaria.
The Minister expressed full satisfaction with the progress achieved, notably the appointment of Mali as Vice-President of the Regional Committee and the election of Burkina Faso to the African Public Health Emergency Fund. The meeting between the AES Confederation countries and the WHO Regional Director provided an opportunity to voice shared concerns and secure attentive listening. This diplomatic and health achievement further consolidates Burkina Faso’s standing on the international health stage.
