On Monday 29 May 2017 at 3 pm, the OP donors’ caravan accompanied by Mrs Anne Thiéba, wife of the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso and FP Ambassador, was honored to be received by the President of Burkina Faso, HE Mr. Roch Kaboré. This meeting, at the end of the Burkina Faso visit, was an opportunity to brief the President and present him with some recommendations.
Mrs. Thiéba, as FP Ambassador, thanked Mr Kabore for what he was already doing for the well-being of Burkinabé. She informed him of the various activities of the caravan, the field visits, the meeting with the President of the National Assembly and those with other stakeholders. Mrs. Thiéba then made a plea to the President for an increase in resources allocated to family planning and requested that free FP services be offered to young people and disadvantaged women.
Then, US Ambassador Andrew Young and UNFPA Representative Edwige Adékambi Domingo spoke in support of Ms. Thiéba’s advocacy. UNFPA’s Adekambi noted that to reach 32% of mCPR by 2020, Burkina Faso will have to increase its funding for contraceptives and family planning. The current trend is only 27% CPR by 2020.
Perri Sutton of the Gates Foundation acting as the donors’ spokesperson also took the floor to thank President Roch Kaboré. Speaking in Moré, a local language, she said: « Wakata tame » which means « It’s time!” for FP repositioning in Burkina Faso.
Mrs. Fatimata Sy, Director of the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit (OPCU), presented the Ouagadougou Partnership as a movement, briefed the President on caravan activities and mentioned Burkina Faso’s role as a leader in the OP region. She concluded her remarks with some recommendations for the success of FP repositioning in the country.
The President of Faso thanked caravan members for their work in his country. He welcomed the OP initiative and its role as a coordination mechanism for all 9 countries. For Mr Kabore, the Ouagadougou Partnership promotes the sharing of best practices among the 9 countries. He called for governments to respect their commitments because they must be held accountable. He also took the opportunity to welcome Canada and the Netherlands who just joined the OP.
According to HE Mr. Roch Kaboré, family planning can not only be a health issue, it is also an vehicle for economic and social development. Failing to act, he said, will have consequences in all sectors, including education, health, employment and economy. According to President Kabore, it is a race that can not be won if nothing is done to control unbridled population growth.
The President of Faso said he welcomed the advocacy and promised to take recommendations into account in the national budget. Borrowing the words of Perri Sutton, the President closed the meeting with: “Wakata tame! It’s time.
Staff Writer