Burkina Faso

SUMMARY

The nutritional status of children in Burkina Faso highlights a worrying situation: 13% are wasted, 29% are low in weight-for-height and 30% are low in weight-for-age. These malnutrition rates are much higher than the maximum acceptable thresholds set by WHO.

This overall picture of malnutrition, however, does not show the great disparities that exist in some population groups: infant malnutrition is prevalent primarily in rural areas, and differs greatly according to regions. The West has a higher prevalence of acute undernutrition (15% of children are wasted), while the East and the North have problems of chronic undernutrition (34% of children are low in weight-for-height). Taking these anthropometric indicators into account, the situation seems to be best in Ouagadougou and worst in the Centre/South.

The nutritional status of adults is little known, but it appears to be less serious than that of children. At the national level, the average body mass index (BMI) of women is approximately 21 kg/m˛, and 14% of women have a BMI below 18.5. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency is highest in the Centre/South regions and in the East.

Micronutrient deficiencies are spread throughout the country and represent a major public health problem. The prevalence of goiter and night blindness is highest in the Centre/North regions (Passoré, Yatenga).

Because of the lack of data on food consumption in Burkina Faso, conclusions on the food situation cannot be drawn. Estimates of energy availability indicate an upward trend over the last 30 years. The diet of the Burkina-be population is cereal-based, and household food security depends on the level of cereal production. The West region has favorable conditions for agriculture and is a cereal-surplus area. It is also a region characterized by great population migrations. In contrast, the East and North are less suitable for agricultural development – the former because it is limited by poor soil and the latter because of its low rainfall pattern.

Many factors affect the population's nutritional status in Burkina Faso. Infant mortality is very high, especially in rural areas, in the North and East regions and in the most densely populated regions. These regions are also the poorest, and have a high incidence of child morbidity (diarrhea, malaria) and insufficient health coverage.