Ouagadougou: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) donated 200 hygienic birthing kits and 15 support kits to the Ouargaye health district in Tenkodogo on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. This donation aims to improve the quality of childbirth in areas where access to healthcare facilities remains limited due to the security situation.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Ms. Sita Zouri/Traore from the ICRC health department stated that this action follows a joint assessment carried out with officials from the Ouargaye health district. ‘Following the assessment, we identified real needs in the care of vulnerable people, particularly pregnant women. Advocacy efforts were undertaken, and this donation constitutes a concrete response to these needs,’ she stated.

The equipment provided consists of 200 clean and hygienic birthing kits for village birth attendants, as well as 15 complete kits including accompanying equipment such as solar lamps, torches, aprons, and bags. ‘These kits will allow midwives to better assist women giving birth at home, before they are referred to health facilities for better care,’ Ms. Traore explained. She added that this initiative follows on from previous ICRC support for the provision of essential inputs and medicines, with the aim of supporting the resilience of the local health system.

Representing the regional health director of Nakambe, Mr. Nebie Mahamoudou, in charge of reproductive health at the regional health directorate of Nakambe, welcomed this support which he considers relevant. ‘This donation addresses a real need. Some populations live in hard-to-reach areas. These kits will allow us to care for pregnant women who cannot reach health facilities and thus reduce maternal and perinatal mortality,’ he stated.

For Dr. Morou Nikiema, chief medical officer of the Ouargaye health district, this donation comes at an opportune time. ‘Since 2023, the security challenge has led to the closure of several health centers. We have trained village midwives in the affected areas, but the availability of birthing kits remained a challenge. This donation from the ICRC fills this gap,’ he said. He added that this was not the ICRC’s first action in the district. ‘About a month ago, we received equipment for the Medical Center with an outpost (CMA) for the care of the wounded, internally displaced persons and host communities. The ICRC remains a constant partner of the Ouargaye health district,’ he concluded.

This ICRC grant will help strengthen maternal and neonatal health in hard-to-reach areas of the Ouargaye health district. By supporting village birth attendants and local health facilities, the ICRC is contributing to the continuity of essential care for women and newborns in Nakambe.