The Hauts-Bassins HR department is working hard for a successful campaign

The Ministry of Health, through the Hauts-Bassins regional directorate, organized an awareness and advocacy session on the campaign to combat schistosomiasis on Friday May 10, 2024 in Bobo-Dioulasso.

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Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by blood flukes, remains a major public health challenge in Burkina Faso. Despite the efforts made by health stakeholders, the prevalence remains high in our country. The transmission of this disease through water contaminated with infected feces and urine persists, endangering the health of many people, especially children.

It is with the aim of combating this neglected tropical disease that the State, with the support of its partners, organizes annually a mass treatment campaign through the free distribution of medicines.

The Léna district and the waterfall region not targeted

This year, the said campaign scheduled for May 14 to 19, 2024 wants to reach a large part of the Burkinabè population, including 717,880 people aged 5 to 14 in the Hauts-Bassins region. And an overall number of 4,038,116 people in 42 health districts across the country, excluding the Cascades region.

In the Hauts-Bassins region, the Léna health district will also not be covered by the campaign due to its zero prevalence according to the results of the preliminary surveys. While 61,205 adults in the Batié health district are targeted by the campaign.

Thousands of actors mobilized

With the mobilization of nearly 23,000 health workers and 7,250 town criers, the ministry wants to ensure complete success for this initiative.

Hence the organization of this meeting with customary and religious leaders, civil society organizations, resource people and the press in order to encourage their contribution to community mobilization for the campaign.

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The Hauts-Bassins Regional Health Director, Yeri Sylvie Traoré reassured the population about the adverse effects linked to taking medications. “Continuing medication is essential because schistosomiasis is a serious disease that can affect the kidneys,” she says. While insisting that the free healthcare which is part of the campaign is the fruit of the government’s efforts to improve the health of the population.

After the campaign, care becomes more complex

However, the management of cases of schistosomiasis detected outside the countryside becomes more difficult due to the scarcity and high cost of drugs (more than 60 thousand CFA francs for the CAMEG formula).

Aminata SANOU

Burkina 24 correspondent in Bobo-Dioulasso

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