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Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is often described as one of the world’s poorest countries, and has one of the highest fertility rates in the world—putting women at great risk for developing obstetric fistula.

Why We Work in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. With a population of over 18 million, Burkina Faso faces ones of the poorest economies in the world—roughly 40% of the population lives below the national poverty line. The country’s high population growth, an unpredictable agricultural economy vulnerable to drought, food insecurity, and limited natural resource result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Burkina Faso has continued to face political insecurity linked to frequent terrorist attacks at the country’s borders, creating a humanitarian crisis. Combined with a high population growth and one of the highest fertility rates in the world, with an average of five births per woman, the country’s women are at major risk for obstetric fistula.

What You Help Us Do

We are investing in the following areas to build Burkina Faso’s in-country medical services and provide life-transforming surgery to as many women as possible:

Meet Our Partners

We identify local surgical teams in Burkina Faso already successfully treating women with fistula—and then work to amplify their efforts.

Who are our current partners?
  • Association Renaissance (ARENA)
    • Location: Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou
    • Partner Since: 2020
How much funding have we granted?

Below are funding totals since the start of each partnership.

Current Partners

  • Association Renaissance (ARENA): $593,765

Latest Updates from the Field

Surgeon Spotlight: Meet Dr. Itengre Ouedraogo  •  April 05, 2021
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Fistula Foundation is forging ahead in 2021. Not only are we strengthening the efforts of our existing partners, but thanks to your generosity, we have also expanded to support new...
Fistula Foundation is forging ahead in 2021. Not only are we strengthening the efforts of our existing partners, but thanks to your generosity, we have also expanded to support new projects as well! We are thrilled to welcome a new surgical team to our network of partners across Africa and Asia: Dr. Itengre Ouedraogo from Burkina Faso.