Health center burned amid wave of violence in Foube

Since January 2021, more than 19,700 consultations have been carried out in this center, of which just over a third were for children under five years of age

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 24, 2021 / APO Group / –

On November 21, 2021, a health center supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Foube, Barsalogho department, in the North-Central region of Burkina Faso, was set on fire. A member of the MSF team was injured during an attack by unidentified gunmen, probably aimed at the Foube police post, a few hundred meters away. Our colleague, as well as other injured patients, have been quickly treated and evacuated to Ouagadougou, and are now in a stable condition.

Mamadou Diarra, head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in Burkina Faso, responds to the latest attack with the following quote:

“We are shocked by this news and alarmed by this situation in the North-Central region of Burkina Faso, as in other parts of the country. The health post is now completely destroyed and can no longer treat patients. Violence continues to increase day by day in Burkina Faso, trapping the people of Burkinabé a little more every day, which is unacceptable. “

“In a humanitarian crisis like this, medical needs are largely unmet and people are trapped in conflict. Therefore, it is imperative to protect medical care, as well as patients and medical personnel, in all circumstances ”.

In Burkina Faso, MSF works daily with the principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence and has been supporting the Barsalogho health district since 2019 by providing basic medical care to displaced people and host communities. The health center was built by MSF in 2019 and is now managed by the Barsalogho health authorities.

Since January 2021, more than 19,700 consultations have been carried out in this center, of which just over a third were for children under five years of age. We also support various health centers with human resources and refer the most critical cases to the most appropriate health centers.