Burkina Faso

Pathfinder works with local partners, including the ministry of health, to expand access to sexual and reproductive health care in an increasingly fragile context, affected by worsening security conditions, and the impacts of climate change and humanitarian crises. Our programs support access to contraception; comprehensive abortion care; and services for maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Together with our partners, we ensure women and young people can access the care they need from community-based services and in public and private health facilities.

• Health Service Delivery
  In Burkina Faso, Pathfinder partners with the Ministry of Health at national, regional, and district levels to enhance access to and use of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, including client-centered contraceptive services, and maternal, neonatal, and child health care. We support public and private health facilities to provide these services through the use of high-impact practices in emergency maternal and neonatal care, contraception, service integration, and task shifting and sharing. We strengthen the skills of facility-based healthcare providers and community-based agents through on-site training, formative supervision, and clinical mentorship.
  
  Additionally, we implement social and behavioral change strategies to reshape social norms and cultural barriers that impede access to these services. We encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors among individuals, families, and communities.
  
  Furthermore, we work on establishing or strengthening community platforms to deliver community health services. These include community health clubs; youth platforms (young women’s academies, young community leaders, youth champions); community health worker management support groups; and community health posts.
  
  Moreover, Pathfinder supports the government to ensure continuity of essential reproductive, maternal, child health, and nutrition services in fragile settings affected by the ongoing security crisis. Pathfinder supports the establishment of advanced health posts and revitalizes traditional birth attendance in areas where health facilities operate minimally or are completely closed or destroyed due to security challenges.
  
• Health System Strengthening
  We collaborate with the Ministry of Health to strengthen the governance of the healthcare system at all levels. Our support extends to strategic planning, policy formulation, and sectoral health strategies, as well as operational planning including budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge sharing. Additionally, Pathfinder works to enhance the frameworks and bodies for steering, coordination, collaboration, and intra- and inter-sectoral dialogue (e.g., Regional Technical Health Committee, District Health Council, General Assembly of Health Facility Management Committees). We ensure social accountability in healthcare and community engagement to improve the quality and reach of healthcare.
  
  Effective governance hinges on having quality information about health issues, the context in which the healthcare system operates, and its effectiveness. Therefore, Pathfinder strives to improve the quality and use of data for decision-making by supporting the revision of norms, standards, and tools for routine health information systems (standard operating procedures, data collection and reporting forms); on-site data quality assessments and quality audits; and performance indicator analysis. Furthermore, Pathfinder works on strengthening basic medical supplies, equipment, and healthcare infrastructure.
  
• Local Capacity Strengthening
  Pathfinder supports localization efforts by enhancing the capacities of a variety of national NGOs. Areas of local capacity strengthening include leadership, financing, and programming. To better guide the localization agenda, we have also adopted practices that ensure our work puts local actors in the lead, strengthens local systems, and is responsive to local communities.