Burkina Faso: Expanding free health care, one step closer to universal access
Burkina Faso continues to show solidarity with its most vulnerable citizens. On Monday, August 12, Health Minister Robert Lucien Kargougou announced a new measure that marks a significant step forward in improving access to healthcare for Burkinabe. Starting in 2025, the policy of free healthcare, which was initially reserved for pregnant women and children under five, will be expanded to include serious accidents and several chronic and severe diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell disease, and albinism.
This decision is a great relief for many families who struggle daily to meet the medical needs of their loved ones. Treatments for serious illnesses like cancer or diabetes often represent an insurmountable financial burden for many families, leading to situations of severe hardship. By including these conditions in the free healthcare policy, the Burkinabe government is committed to easing these burdens, ensuring that citizens can access the care they need without fearing the economic consequences.
Since the introduction of free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five, the state has allocated between 28 and 30 billion FCFA annually to support this program. With the expansion of this policy, the Health Minister indicated that the additional financial requirement would be estimated between 10 and 15 billion FCFA per year. This demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare system and ensuring that healthcare is not an inaccessible luxury but a fundamental right for all.
This extension of the free healthcare policy is a decisive step towards universal healthcare access in Burkina Faso. It demonstrates a strong political will to protect the most vulnerable by ensuring that everyone, regardless of their economic situation, can receive the necessary care to lead a healthy and productive life.
In addition to improving the quality of life for beneficiaries, this measure could also have positive long-term effects on public health by reducing complications related to these diseases and promoting early detection and effective management of chronic conditions.
