Ouagadougou: The High Commissioner of Sissili Province, Tewende Isaac Sia, chaired the first regular session of the District Health Council (CSD) in Leo. This body brought together all the key stakeholders in the local health system for an in-depth review of the results of the first half of the year’s activities and a rigorous analysis of epidemiological indicators.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the session, which gathered around 100 participants, was held in the district conference room. It included the health district’s management team, heads of management committees (COGES), provincial directors and heads of departments, chairs of special municipal delegations, and heads of private health facilities. This multidisciplinary assembly illustrates the inclusive approach advocated by the authorities to address public health challenges.
Opening the proceedings, High Commissioner Tewende Isaac Sia emphasized the importance of this consultation framework. “This framework perfectly illustrates the multidisciplinary nature of health and provides a unique space for collective reflection, analyzing our results, and, above all, strengthening our shared commitment to the well-being of communities,” he said in his opening speech. He also urged participants to be sincere in their discussions: “Our discussions must be marked by frankness, realism, and the search for concrete solutions,” he added.
On the agenda, the District Health Officer (DHO) and his team presented detailed reports on the half-yearly review. These reports reviewed activities carried out in the areas of vaccination, prenatal consultations, deliveries attended by qualified personnel, management of communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as individual nominative dispensation (DIN).
The focus of the discussions was a review of the province’s key epidemiological indicators. Participants analyzed trends in malaria prevalence among children under 5, notification rates for epidemic-prone diseases, vaccination coverage, and the performance of the PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission) program. This review revealed that malaria, in its uncomplicated or severe form, remains the leading cause of consultation, morbidity, and mortality in the Leo health district. In the first half of the year, the district recorded more than 66,839 cases, including 28,801 in children under 5, and unfortunately, 10 deaths. Frank discussions helped identify achievements to be consolidated as well as persistent challenges, particularly in terms of geographic and financial accessibility to care in certain areas.
The constructive discussions resulted in a series of recommendations and the adoption of a corrective action plan for the second half of the year. The resolutions mainly focus on strengthening community awareness campaigns, optimizing the supply chain for inputs and medicines, closely monitoring underperforming indicators (particularly late consultations), securing land tenure for health facilities, renewing and training COGES members, and strengthening field visits to health facilities.
During the session, the Association for the Integral Development of Women (ADIF) presented its activities to the participants. In particular, it presented its project “Nimaru Festival, Social Cohesion in Nuni,” which will be held from October 16 to 18.
The closing of the session was marked by a call from the High Commissioner for increased synergy of actions between the State’s technical services, local authorities, and private partners. Mr. Sia urged all stakeholders to “work in perfect symbiosis to transform these resolutions into tangible achievements on the ground,” affirming that health remains a top priority for the government in Sissili province.