Burkina Faso has announced a significant reduction in the prices of essential medicines in an effort to ease the healthcare burden on its population.
This initiative reflects the commitment of President Captain Ibrahim Traoré to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all Burkinabè.
Health minister, Dr. Robert Kargougou, declared on Monday that the new pricing measures have officially come into effect. These measures involve a nationwide reduction in the public sale prices of generic essential medicines, medical consumables, and certain vaccines.
As part of the reforms, commercial margins have been reduced across the supply chain.
The margins applied by district-level supply depots have dropped from 7.5 percent to 6 percent, while those in public health facilities have been reduced from 30 percent to 25 percent. In terms of pricing, tablets have seen reductions of up to 46 percent, injectable drugs up to 55 percent, syrups between 1 and 20 percent, and other pharmaceutical forms up to 25 percent.
Vaccines and serums have also experienced substantial price drops. The antivenom serum, for example, has been reduced from 21,833 CFA francs to just 2,000 FCFA, representing a 90.84 percent decrease. The yellow fever vaccine is now 15 percent cheaper, the meningococcal ACYW-135 vaccine has been reduced by 16.62 percent, and the rabies vaccine by 72.14 percent.
According to Minister Kargougou, these reductions are part of a broader strategy led by the head of state to lighten the health-related expenses of citizens.
The move comes at a time when the Central Purchasing Office for Generic Essential Medicines (CAMEG), which became a state-owned enterprise in March 2024, has stepped up its efforts to improve the availability of pharmaceutical products nationwide.
HO/sf/ac/lb/as/APA