Mission Burkina Faso

Even though it has become the leading cotton producer in Africa for the first time, the country, led by the same man for eighteen years (re-elected in November 2005), remains very poor. As well as a disappointing economic assessment, the health situation is disastrous. Mothers' poor knowledge of how to monitor children (partial or total lack of knowledge of childhood illnesses and the hygiene measures to avoid them), together with difficult access to health centres, is behind the high infant mortality rate in this country. It should also be noted that the spread of HIV at all social levels, and the absence of prevention and screening make an already worrying situation even worse.

Access to oral healthcare programme

Diébougou (Sud-Ouest)

Activities: Having realised that no-one was providing oral healthcare in the region, MdM set up several activities. These include:

• setting up a dental surgery (refurbishing the premises);
• staff training (training a dentist at the university);
• developing an oral ailments prevention programme in schools and villages in Diebougou province with the aim of improving the oral health of the population of this region.

Outlook:
Run the dental surgery and continue to train the medical staff. A dentist began work in the dental surgery in March 2006 while waiting for a second dentist to complete his training.