34
vulnérables (POSPV), adopted to deal with the food crisis that followed the
grain shortage of 154,000 tons during the 2011-2012 season. They were
mainly in the form of an operation involving the distribution of 105,000 tons
of food to 400,000 households, representing 2.6 million people. The crisis
situation required the full use of the Intervention Stock (IS) and the National
Security Stock (SNS) to supply food to more than 200 towns. Given the
inadequate stocks, the State released CFAF 14.3 billion to purchase
additional food.
In the educational sector, the actions concerned the offer of free basic
education,
subsidizing
the
school
feeding
system,
construction
of
educational infrastructure.
With regard to health, the actions consisted in the supply of emergency kits
for treating severe malaria cases in under-five children and pregnant women;
treatment of people suffering from AIDS; subsidizing child delivery and
Emergency Obstetrical and Neonatal Care (EONC), construction and
equipment of health infrastructure.
Besides, in the area of social protection, the following actions were
undertaken: (i) offer of financial support to the elderly; (ii) improvement of
access to potable water and sanitation; (iii) construction of social and
economic housing units; (iv) free distribution of food items; (v) management
of disasters such as floods and drought; (vi) offer of financial assistance to
orphans and other vulnerable children; and (vii) operationalization of a legal
assistance fund to financially cater for needy persons before the courts.
Still in the concern to fight against poverty, as part of the implementation of
programmes to reduce gender inequalities, the actions taken were aimed at
creating a favourable political and socio-cultural environment to ensure full
participation of women and men in the social economic and political life of
Burkina Faso. To that end, the emphasis was placed on the integration of
women’s concerns in policies, action plans, sector strategies, regional and
communal
development
plans.
Moreover,
the
development
of
multi-
functional development platforms for women, especially in rural areas was
pursued.