Optimizing primary health care in Burkina Faso: an approach informed by EQUIST / Optimisation des soins de santé primaires au Burkina Faso : une approche éclairée par l'outil EQUIST

Introduction: Burkina Faso has made access to primary health care a national priority by including it in the 2021-2030 national health development plan. Purpose of research: Our study aimed to analyze the causes of inequalities in access to primary health care, priority interventions and strategies for strengthening primary health care, and their potential impact on reducing maternal and infant mortality. Results: Diarrheal diseases, malaria, and pneumonia are the main causes of inequalities in infant and child deaths in rural areas. As for maternal deaths, abortion and its complications are the main causes of inequalities in deaths associated with hypertensive disorders. The Sahel, Boucle du Mouhoun, Center-North, East, and Cascades regions are the geographical areas where interventions are essential to reduce inequalities in maternal, neonatal, infant and child deaths and malnutrition. Conclusions: The national priorities have included all the high-impact interventions for strengthening primary health care identified in our study. Interventions must prioritize the populations in rural areas, the most affected and high-impact geographical regions. This requires the involvement and empowerment of beneficiary communities and the consideration of the fragile safety context.

Introduction: Le Burkina Faso a fait de l'accès aux soins de santé primaires (SSP) une priorité nationale en l'inscrivant dans le plan national de développement sanitaire 2021-2030. But de l'étude: Notre étude visait à analyser les causes des inégalités d'accès aux SSP, les interventions prioritaires et les stratégies pour leur renforcement ainsi que leurs impacts potentiels sur la réduction de la mortalité maternelle et infantile. Résultats: Les maladies diarrhéiques, le paludisme et la pneumonie constituent les principales causes d'inégalités de décès infanto-juvénile en milieu rural. Quant aux décès maternels, l'avortement et ses complications étaient les principales causes d'inégalités des décès, associées aux troubles hypertensives. Les régions du Sahel, Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre-Nord, Est et les Cascades sont les zones géographiques où les interventions sont indispensables pour réduire les inégalités de décès maternels, néonataux, infanto-juvéniles et la malnutrition. Conclusion: Les priorités nationales ont pris en compte l'ensemble des interventions à haut impact de renforcement des SSP identifiées dans notre étude. La mise en œuvre des interventions doit prioriser les populations des milieux ruraux, les régions géographiques les plus affectés et ayant un haut impact. Ceci passe par l'implication et l'autonomisation des communautés bénéficiaires et la prise en compte du contexte de fragilité sécuritaire.

The experience of a regional network of health policy and systems actors in translating evidence into policy and action in West Africa.

Objectives: To identify strategies and interventions to strengthen the generation and use of research evidence in health policy and practice decision-making and implementation in the West African sub-region (knowledge translation). Design: The study design was cross-sectional. Data sources were from a desk review, West African Network of Emerging Leaders (WANEL) member brainstorming, and group discussion outputs from WANEL members and session participants' discussions and reflections during an organised session at the 2019 African Health Economics and Policy Association meeting in Accra. Results: Strategies and interventions identified included developing a Community of Practice, a repository of health policy and systems research (HPSR) evidence, stakeholder mapping, and engagement for action, advocacy, and partnership. Approaches for improving evidence uptake beyond traditional knowledge translation activities included the use of cultural considerations in presenting research results and mentoring younger people, the presentation of results in the form of solutions to political problems for decision-makers, and the use of research results as advocacy tools by civil society organisations. Development of skills in stakeholder mapping, advocacy, effective presentation of research results, leadership skills, networking, and network analysis for researchers was also identified as important. Conclusions: To strengthen the generation and use of research evidence in health policy and practice decision-making in West Africa requires capacity building and multiple interventions targeted synergistically at researchers, decision-makers, and practitioners. Funding: Funding for the study was provided by the COMPCAHSS project (#108237) supported by IDRC.

Policy dialogue to support maternal newborn child health evidence use in policymaking: The lessons learnt from the Nigeria research days first edition.

The use of evidence in decision-making and practice can be improved through diverse interventions, including policy dialogue. The Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria initiated and organized the Nigeria Research Days (NRD), to serve as a platform for exchange between researchers and policymakers for improving maternal, new-born and child health. The study reports on the conceptualization, organization and lessons learned from the first edition. A cross-sectional study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a policy dialogue during the NRDs. Data were collected from the feasibility and workshop evaluation surveys. A descriptive analysis of data was performed. As a result, the Nigeria Research Days meets all the criteria for a successful policy dialogue. The participants positively rated the content and format of the meeting and made suggestions for improvement. They were willing to implement the recommendations of the final communiqué. The lessons learned from this first edition will be used to improve future editions.