In 2017 and 2018, Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and the International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP) conducted interviews and focus groups in three regions of Burkina Faso to assess implementation of youth-friendly contraceptive services. Our research revealed that despite strong policies dedicated to expanding these services, implementation gaps exist. Comprehensive sexuality education is not integrated into school curricula throughout the nation, and no budget line dedicated to the provision of youth-friendly family planning services exists in the cities of Dédougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.
Burkinabé youth leaders from IYAFP, with support from PRB, designed a video and fact sheet targeting the Ministry of National Education and Literacy, the Ministry of Health, parents’ associations, and teachers’ associations to accelerate the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education into school curricula throughout all regions of the country. Additionally, the IYAFP and PRB teams created videos and presentations calling on municipal authorities in Dédougou (Boucle du Mouhoun region) and Bobo-Dioulasso (Hauts-Bassins region) to create a budget line dedicated to the provision of youth-friendly family planning services.
All advocacy products share key data related to youth reproductive health, and they showcase select findings from the assessment that revealed gaps between policy commitments and implementation.