Despite increased government funding and an effective scaling up of proven health interventions, Burkina Faso still faces major challenges in the health sector. Communicable diseases continue to be the primary cause of morbidity and mortality, with malaria being the largest contributor to mortality for children under 5 years of age. In addition, Burkina Faso did not fully meet Millennium Development Goals in child mortality, maternal mortality and sanitation. USAID is contributing to new advances in health by increasing malaria prevention and control and expanding access to improved water resources, sanitation and family planning.

The vast majority of Burkina Faso’s population relies on subsistence agriculture, and the country is increasingly plagued with drought, floods and locust invasions, often creating a need for humanitarian response. Homegrown practices in water conservation and other improvements in agriculture such as offseason production are enabling the country to avoid major crises caused by recurrent climatic shocks. Nevertheless, more than 3.5 million people, roughly 20 percent of the population, are food insecure and approximately 50 percent of rural households are not able to produce sufficient quantities of food to sustain their caloric intake.