Burkina Faso’s national health financing forum concludes, charting a path to self-reliance
The inaugural National Forum on Health Financing (FONAFIS) in Burkina Faso, initiated on March 25th by Burkinabè Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo in Ouagadougou, drew to a close on March 27th.
This significant high-level gathering united political figures, both domestic and international specialists, alongside Technical and Financial Partners (PTF). Their discussions centered on critical issues concerning resource generation and lessening reliance on foreign funding for public health across Africa. A primary objective for the organizers was also to “strengthen the health system’s capacity to withstand crises” throughout the African continent.
On the opening day, March 25th, Mohamed Janabi, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, presented an overview of health financing in Africa. He highlighted a notable statistic: “a quarter of all health expenditures within our region originates from external sources.”
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo further articulated that “health sovereignty forms a cornerstone of Burkina Faso’s national transformation agenda,” a nation that embarked on a Popular Progressive Revolution (RPP) in September 2022. He underscored his government’s steadfast commitment “to finance its health system through its own capabilities.”
