MEASURE Evaluation Strengthens Ability of Three Ministries in Burkina Faso to Prevent Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases

PÔ, Burkina Faso―On May 9–10, 2019 in the district of Pô, Nahouri province, Center-South region of Burkina Faso, MEASURE Evaluation hosted an event to train key personnel in the human health, animal health, and environmental sectors on the country’s new One Health electronic platform―a multi-ministry database developed by MEASURE Evaluation with support from the United States Agency for International Development. It is used to collect, share, visualize, and analyze data on priority zoonotic and epizootic diseases across the three "One Health" disciplines.

Preventing and reducing the likelihood of disease outbreaks is essential to save lives. Rapid response requires coordination and communication and strong health information systems as well as community-based surveillance structures. Training events such as this, involving staff from multisectoral ministries, strengthen national and international capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.

Users of the One Health platform included staff from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, and the Ministry of the Environment working at the district level and at the health facility, veterinary post, and forestry post level (based on the ministry to which they are affiliated). End users were trained on how to properly use the One Health electronic platform to alert and track suspected cases. Users across district and health facility, veterinary post, and forestry post levels also received electronic Android tablets to access the platform at their site, as well as Internet keys that will be recharged with Internet credit by MEASURE Evaluation on a monthly basis.

The two-day event brought together more than 60 attendees from the Pô district and central level, as well as province and region leadership. Media coverage by Radiodiffusion Television du Burkina (RTB) can be accessed online in English and French: Download the scripts here.

For more information

MEASURE Evaluation works to strengthen the information systems that can detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases and known communicable diseases. For more information, see https://www.measureevaluation.org/our-work/global-health-security and https://www.measureevaluation.org/countries/burkina-faso