Situation analysis of committees on the management of health training and of Laafi Raaga in the Bazega and Gourma

Between 1993 and 1995 health structures in the Bazega and Gourma provinces of Burkina Faso benefited from a community-based program launched and implemented by CLUSA consisting of training organization and communication at the community level through health facilities management committees. Following the assertion that these management committees were encountering problems this study was undertaken to help identify ways to rekindle community participation in promoting and managing primary health care. Evaluation results show that despite problems on several orders the management committees are functional even though they are functioning in substandard fashion. The 30 committees studied conducted 126 activities in the 3 following areas: investment and management of health structures income-generation and health promotion. Meetings are one of the committees main activities but more than half of all committees convene only irregularly. The poor management of finances and medicines is the main obstacle to the proper operation of the management committees. Moreover there also exists only inadequate follow-up by medical personnel or other facilities.