Regional health disparities in Burkina Faso during the period of health care decentralization. Results of a macro‐level analysis

BACKGROUND: Burkina Faso has undertaken decentralization reforms in the health care sector to improve the performance of the health system. This study aimed to analyze the differences in health outcomes by health district's demographic and economic status, and the distribution of health resources during the period of health care decentralization. METHODS: A bivariate correlation analysis was conducted using data at the health districts and regions level. Data from the health management information system (HMIS) and national households' surveys were used. RESULTS: The results indicate a strong correlation between district's population size and the availability of health resources (P ≤ .05). The health visits per capita and skilled birth attendance are correlated with the economic status of the health district (P ≤ .05). Malnutrition among under‐five and maternal mortality was associated with the availability of health personnel and health infrastructures (P ≤ .05). No correlation was found between financial resources and health outcomes. CONCLUSION: The results indicated disparities in health among the health districts in Burkina Faso. The ways to address this inequality include more transparent resource allocation, as well as policies to address the socio‐economic disparities and financial barriers to health services. Further research is needed to collect relevant data and investigate the effects of decentralization, which was not possible in our study.