Burkina Faso |
Disaster Assistance at a Glance
Recent Disaster Declarations:
Meningitis Epidemic, Flooding
OFDA Response:
Health, Emergency Relief Supplies
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Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Meningitis Epidemic, 02-19-2008
Between January and February 2008, Government of Burkina Faso (GOBF) health authorities reported 1,422 cases of meningitis and 204 deaths in the country. According to the GOBF’s Ministry of Health (MOH), the most affected areas were in southwestern Burkina Faso along the Côte d’Ivoire border. The MOH noted that an estimated 5 million people were at risk in the country, including near the capital of Ouagadougou. While cases of meningitis occur in Burkina Faso every year, the cases of meningitis in 2008 appeared much earlier than in 2007. The case fatality rates were six percent higher compared to the same period last year.
To prepare for the 2008 meningitis outbreak, the MOH worked with the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to pre-position vaccines and medical supplies, and identify resources for personnel, laboratory work, and public education. However, the MOH required additional funding to respond to the expected emergency.
On February 19, 2008, U.S. Ambassador Jeanine E. Jackson declared a disaster due to the magnitude and spread of the meningitis outbreak. In response, OFDA provided nearly $500,000 to WHO and UNICEF for the purchase of vaccines and meningitis surveillance, education, and laboratory detection.
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In Burkina Faso, a health worker administers a meningitis vaccine to a young boy. (Photo courtesy of UNICEF)
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Additional Disaster Declarations:
Flooding, 09-26-2007
Heavy rainfall since June caused flooding in 21 of Burkina Faso’s 45 provinces. The most affected provinces included Kouritenga in the east, Houet and Banwa in the west, and Yantenga, Soum, and Loroum in the north. Although the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou reported that the exact number of affected people was difficult to ascertain due to inaccessibility in the hardest hit areas, the Government of Burkina Faso reported that the flooding killed 33 people and affected 7,365 households, or 40,637 people. The floods also damaged houses, bridges, roads, and an estimated 15,000 hectares of crops. Flood-affected families took shelter in school buildings.
On September 26, 2007, U.S. Ambassador Jeanine E. Jackson declared a disaster due to the effects of the flooding in Burkina Faso. In response, OFDA provided $50,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for the provision of vouchers that allowed beneficiaries to purchase food and emergency relief supplies.
Meningitis Epidemic, 04-10-2007
Between January and April 2007, GOBF health authorities reported more than 19,500 cases of meningitis in the country, causing 1,337 deaths as of April 4. From January to March 2007, the number of reported cases exceeded 19,000, which equaled the total number of reported cases during the last major meningitis outbreak in Burkina Faso in 1996. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 41 of 55 health districts required immediate assistance to treat meningitis and prevent further loss of life. The rapid increase in the number of reported cases strained the capacity of the GOBF to respond.
On April 10, 2007, U.S. Ambassador Jeanine E. Jackson declared a disaster due to the spread of meningitis. In response, OFDA contributed $450,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou to the UNICEF to provide urgently needed vaccinations necessary to maintain control of the meningitis outbreak. This contribution completed the vaccination requirement for the ongoing immunization program, which other donors also supported.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses in Burkina Faso, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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