Navigating a polycrisis: barriers to maternal healthcare access in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso exemplifies a polycrisis, where overlapping sociopolitical, health, security and environmental disruptions collectively undermine public health progress. Despite decades of advancement in maternal and reproductive healthcare–through policies like fee abolition and expanded health facilities–recent crises have severely eroded these gains. Since 2014, Burkina Faso has faced escalating insecurity, becoming the world’s most terrorism-affected country, compounded by political instability following the ousting of long-time president Blaise Compaoré, repeated coups and increasingly militarized regimes. Simultaneously, the nation is grappling with deep economic inequality, environmental degradation and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These intertwined crises disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, deepening healthcare inequities. Emerging research highlights how this converging crisis landscape threatens access to quality maternal care, jeopardizing two decades of progress. Recognizing the polycrisis as a public health threat is critical to safeguarding maternal and reproductive health achievements in Burkina Faso and developing more resilient health systems amid compounded adversities.