Burkina Faso: Briefing to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: 47th session, October 2010

Index: AFR 60/012/2010 Burkina Faso 7 Briefing to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and confidential access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. [...] However, even when abortion is permitted, the conditions set by the law are complex and difficult to meet, and most of the women met by Amnesty International in rural areas were not aware of these provisions. [...] Although the government has increased the number of community health centres in recent years, enormous disparities continue to exist between urban and rural areas, notably in the Sahel region where the maternal mortality rate is the highest of the country. [...] The main problems undermining the implementation of the subsidy policy are: confusion among the public and medical staff over what is subsidized and what is free, allowing health care staff to demand unofficial payments for treatment, supplies or transport; absence of free transport between health facilities; failure to identify indigent women entitled to free care – no criteria for identify [...] During a mission to Burkina Faso in February 2010, an Amnesty International delegation met with the highest authorities, including the President of the Republic, Blaise Compaoré, the Prime Minister, Tertius Zongo, the Minister of Health, Seydou Bouda, and the President of the National Assembly, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.