Wahabo Kientrebeogo is one of the local stakeholders critical to Ouagadougou’s continued success.
Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is the country’s largest city with a population of over 2.7 million. When The Challenge Initiative (TCI) began its partnership with the city in 2019, progress regarding family planning services was slow. TCI’s Francophone West Africa hub has since supported Ouagadougou’s city government to implement high-impact practices and other interventions (HIPs & HIIs) to improve outreach, education, and service quality. The results were striking, with increased contraceptive use and a notable reduction in fertility rates.
After graduating in December 2022, Ouagadougou continues to make measurable progress. Through a multi-layered partnership built among municipal authorities, health professionals, advocacy groups, and religious leaders, the city was able to sustain impact post-graduation. Local relationships are central to the success of TCI’s model. Leveraging resources and support from regional government provides program sustainability while engaging with community partners helps shape relevant and culturally appropriate messaging. Community and religious leaders play a key role as champions of family planning outreach as well as volunteers who dedicate their time to directly support the population. Pastor Guibrina Ouedraogo, a TCI coach, religious leader, and president of a local advocacy group discussed the importance these partnerships played in Ouagadougou’s success:
TCI worked very well, and we collaborated extensively in the commune of Ouagadougou, working both with the church and religious leaders. We were able to meet with the leaders of the denomination, who also contributed to their area of responsibility. It was truly a collective effort that bore a lot of fruit…We have reached a level where the city can be graduated and take autonomy in its work.”
Additional clients of long-acting reversible contraception in Ouagadougou. The trend continues to rise after the city graduated from TCI direct support in December 2022.
Post-graduation, Ouagadougou has continued its commitment to sustaining successful practices, including organizing family planning special days (JSPF) and implementing universal referral (systematic identification of client needs) in health facilities. Additionally, improvements in data quality have made it easier to track and demonstrate measurable impact. These efforts have directly contributed to a notable increase in family planning clients over time.
This sustained growth demonstrates the effectiveness of the city’s commitment to expanding access to modern contraceptive methods and addressing unmet needs, even in the face of new challenges like population shifts. Ouagadougou currently has many internally displaced people settling near the city. Expanding contraceptive access to support these vulnerable communities reinforces the commitment to inclusive health services. Diallozerba Fatimata, a reproductive health manager, emphasized the significance of capacity building and advocacy, saying:
We have benefited from numerous training sessions that have strengthened the capacity of service providers and improved our facilities … Thanks to donations and endowments from the municipality…I can say that our relationship with the municipality has grown closer, and the collaboration has persisted and continues.”
Ouagadougou has set a benchmark for others, demonstrating how financial commitments, community engagement, and effective partnerships can lead to improvements in family planning indicators. As Ouagadougou continues to contribute to national health indicators, its success serves as a model for replication across other regions. WATCH: Local stakeholders share their thoughts about the success in Ouagadougou
