Burkina Faso/Low nutrition rate: Yidgiri looks at strategies to improve indicators in its intervention areas in Kaya

The Yidgiri project organized a workshop for the amendment, restitution and validation of the results of the evaluation study of markets and nutritional channels on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 August 2021 in Kaya. Chaired by the Secretary General of the Centre-North region, representing the Governor, the workshop brought together nutrition experts and technical and financial partners.

According to the 2020 SMART nutrition surveys of the Nutrition Directorate, the rate of chronic malnutrition is 25% at the national level and more than 40% in some regions of Burkina. Among women of reproductive age, the anaemia rate exceeds 50% and is above 70% among pregnant women.

In view of this worrying situation, the USAID Yidgiri project, through its nutrition component, with the support of the government of Burkina Faso and other development partners, aims to develop strategies to improve the health of the population.The USAID Yidgiri project, through its nutrition component, with the support of the Government of Burkina Faso and other development partners, aims to develop strategies to improve the nutritional status of the populations in its intervention areas through the increased consumption of healthy and nutrient-rich local foods.

It is therefore to better understand and analyze the food and nutritional environment of its areas of intervention, that Yidgiri conducted, during the months of September and October 2020, a study to assess the markets and nutritional channels in the North Central, Eastern and Sahel regions. A study whose results were presented to stakeholders and partners for amendment and validation during two workshops held on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 August 2021 in Kaya.

"The objective of this workshop is to make a complete analysis of the content of the report, collect proposals for improvement in order to lead to The objective of this workshop is to make a complete analysis of the content of the report, collect proposals for improvement in order to lead to the validation of the results of the study by experts in the field," said the representative of the USDA Country Director, Dr Benjamin Boltz.

This workshop gathered nutrition experts, including specialists from national state structures and from the Centre-North, Sahel and East regions in charge of nutrition, RISE II partners, regional health, nutrition and food security clusters, UNICEF and WFP.It was chaired by the Secretary General of the Centre-North region, Robert Zoungrana, representing the Governor.

In his speech, Robert Zoungrana recognized the interest of acting in the field of nutrition in the three regions. "Being in a situation of food distress due to the insecurity that the region is experiencing, an action of this kind can only be beneficial," he said. These words are supported by experts in the field. "The health crisis has made the food situation precarious in the region, which already had a poor rate," explained Dr. Djibrila Maiga, head of the disease control department of the North Central Regional Health Directorate, representing the regional director.

Yidgiri is a five-year project (2020-2025) funded by USAID. It is implemented in Burkina Faso in the regions of Centre-North, Sahel and East by the CNFA in consortium with CARE International, GRAD and A2N.

Source: lefaso.net/