Improving Quality and Access to Health in Burkina Faso: Model for Complementary Rural Health Services

Abstract

The issue of quality healthcare for rural communities has recently been debated in both developing and developed countries. This challenging theme requires specific steps to address the health needs of rural communities. In Burkina Faso, no effective model exists to complement the efforts of the public sector to offer health services to rural communities. For this reason, this thesis describes a theoretical innovative model of a sustainable community hospital that will offer quality primary and secondary health services to the rural communities that need them. This model is referred to as Complementary Rural Health Services (CHRS).The basis of this work stems from a personal medical practice experience in Burkina Faso, practicum interviewees’ inputs, and a literature review on the issue of rural healthcare. The proposed model is made of four Pillars that are: (a) Administrative Pillar, (b) Sustainability Pillar, (c) Community Participation Pillar, and (d) Human Resources Pillar. The model is designed to be reproducible in other rural settings, especially in developing countries. Its implementation requires a strong community involvement and collaboration between local authorities, health professionals, local communities, and relevant partners both locally and internationally.