PMC in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a country approximately the size of New Zealand with a population of almost 16 million located in western Africa. The fertility rate in Burkina Faso is the eighth highest in the world, driven by large family size. In general, men and women want large families, but 29 percent of married women ages 15–49 reported to the Demographic and Health Survey that they would like to space or limit births, but they’re not currently using any method of family planning. In Burkina Faso, 5.93 children are born to every woman, and more than 39 percent of these children are subjected to child labor. (UNICEF, 2012) Population Institute has ranked Burkina Faso the 15th most vulnerable state in their 2015 Demographic Vulnerability Report

It’s not cost or access that’s being cited by sexually active, fertile, married women. The barriers to use of modern methods of contraception are largely informational and cultural. The top reasons married women cited for not using a modern method of contraception were the desire for more children (18%); personal, partner, or religious opposition (17%); fear of health effects (10%); and not knowing a method or a source (10%). Cost was cited by 2.5 percent and lack of access was cited by 0.7 percent.