The curtains came down on the first edition of the National Forum on Health Financing (FONAFIS) in Ouagadougou on Friday, March 27, 2026, setting a new course for Burkina Faso’s health system, which is now resolutely focused on sovereignty, equity and performance.
Presiding over the closing ceremony on behalf of the Head of State, the Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, hailed it as “a moment of truth” which, in 72 hours of intense work, had enabled us to move from questions to concrete solutions. “We are marking a new departure towards an efficient, equitable and truly sovereign healthcare system”, he declared.
In his address, the Head of Government emphasized the need to consider healthcare not as a burden, but as a strategic investment for national development. To this end, he outlined a series of structural reforms, including: the complete digitization of the health expenditure chain; the gradual increase in resources allocated to the sector; the establishment of a common financing basket; the effective alignment of partners with national priorities; the acceleration of universal health coverage; the development of local drug production; and the creation of a rigorous mechanism for following up recommendations. He also urged the Minister of Health to ensure diligent and coordinated implementation of the forum’s conclusions.
For the Minister of Health, Dr Robert Kargougou, this first edition was “a resounding success”, marked by the participation of over 600 players and a strong international presence, with some ten delegations and several African health ministers. “We are moving from theoretical alignment to practical alignment of partners with national priorities”, he emphasized, highlighting major advances such as the digitization of the system, the introduction of a monitoring dashboard and the unification of the healthcare product supply chain.
Speaking on behalf of the invited countries, Niger’s Minister of Health, Colonel-major Garba Hakimi, hailed the initiative as “inspiring” at a time when African healthcare systems continue to face numerous structural challenges, not least chronic underfunding. He pointed out that the average public expenditure on health in sub-Saharan Africa remains below 10%, while congratulating Burkina Faso on allocating 12% of its budget to the sector. He called for greater mobilization of domestic resources, the development of innovative financing and the strengthening of public-private partnerships.
At the end of the proceedings, the participants adopted a declaration focusing on three major areas: political, technical and institutional. In it, they reaffirmed that health sovereignty is a cornerstone of development, and pledged to strengthen health budgets, ensure the alignment of international aid, promote the role of the private sector, accelerate digitization and transparency, and strengthen citizen participation.
The forum also formalized its institutionalization on a biennial basis, with the next edition scheduled for March 2028. Beyond its commitments, FONAFIS 2026 marks a major shift in the governance of the healthcare sector. It lays the foundations for a model based on endogenous resources, collective responsibility and national solidarity.
In closing the proceedings, the Prime Minister issued a call to action: to transform the recommendations into concrete results for the population without delay. Ouagadougou has sent out a strong message: financing health means choosing sovereignty and investing in the future.