In Burkina Faso, a new initiative is transforming maternal healthcare by training midwives to perform basic obstetric ultrasounds during antenatal consultations, especially in remote areas. Previously, pregnant women had to travel long distances and pay high costs to access ultrasound services, leading many to forgo essential scans. Now, free ultrasounds are available locally, reducing delays in diagnosis and improving pregnancy monitoring.
Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Health in eight districts of Boucle du Mouhoun and Hauts-Bassins regions, the programme equips midwives with essential ultrasound skills to detect foetal abnormalities, ectopic pregnancies, and other complications early. Midwives like Denise, trained in November 2023, have already performed thousands of ultrasounds, identifying high-risk pregnancies and enabling timely interventions. This has led to record numbers of antenatal consultations and safe deliveries in participating centres.
The project is part of a broader maternal health strategy that includes free care for pregnant women and children under five, improved family planning access, and strengthened community health measures. Funding from the Sexual and Reproductive Health Project supported the development of training materials and capacity building for midwives.
Experts, including WHO and national health leaders, highlight that while the training duration was short, it provides crucial skills in underserved areas. WHO recommends at least one ultrasound before 24 weeks to optimise antenatal care and has supported training, professional engagement, and service promotion.
Challenges remain, including limited numbers of trained staff, service disruptions when trained midwives are absent, and supply shortages. The Ministry of Health, with WHO and World Bank support, plans to expand the programme to more districts, aiming to make basic prenatal ultrasound a standard, accessible service across the country.
For women like Kindo, the service brings reassurance, better monitoring, and greater trust in the health system, offering hope that such life-saving care will remain available for all pregnant women in Burkina Faso.
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