800 die from meningitis
800 people have died from meningitis in Burkina Faso, and over 10,000 infected in the last few months. Outbreaks occur every year throughout West Africa during the dry season. Last year, for example, the WHO reported more than 2,783 deaths throughout the "meningitis belt". In Africa, children under 5 years of age represent more than half of all the meningitis cases that occur outside epidemics. This year's cases are much worse than normal. Burkina Faso has started a mass vaccination campaign, but MSF say funding is needed: "the vaccines are there, the logistics are in place, the vaccination is underway, but the funds are missing." One vaccine costs just 30p per dose. But of 3,350,000 vaccines made available to fight the spread of the disease, half is still blocked because of a lack of funds.

Such emergency vaccination campaigns are expensive (last year, Burkina Faso spent approximately US$3.5m on a smaller campaign) and inefficient (such vaccinations wear off quickly, and cannot be used with babies). Much-needed research is now going on into an improved vaccine that could be given to babies and protect them for life. Meningitis is an infection of the thin lining around the brain and spinal cord. Typically, 5 to 10% of meningitis patients die within 24 to 48 hours of the first symptoms, while 10 to 20 percent of survivors suffer brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities.

Ezra wins Film Prize at FESPACO
While all eyes were on the glitz of the Oscars, FESPACO, Africa's biggest film festival was running in Ouaga. Somehow, I managed to arrive in Burkina back in October just as the African Arts festival finished, and left just as Fespaco opened! This year, the golden "Etalon de Yennenga" (Yennenga Stallion) award went to Newton Aduaka's "Ezra", a film about child soldiers in Sierra Leone, forced to commit atrocities, and the impact on their lives after the end of the war. I would love to see this film, and compare the West African presentation with "Blood Diamond", which I have already seen. In my opinion Blood Diamond suffered from the popularity trap of trying to make a film about a serious issue, but losing it in the attempt to make the film accessible to a western audience. The good-looking white heroes and the personal tale with the happy ending make for nicer cinema but fail to engage us with the real story that is the backdrop and reason for the film. Ezra of course, in spite of winning the prestigious prize, will probably never get much attention in the west - there is no Hollywood treatment, and African films struggle to get finance for production.

Stallions inconsistent in African Nations Cup qualifiers
In the African Nations Cup 2008 qualifying rounds, Burkina Faso in Group 7 continue to show their inconsistency. After losing to Tanania, the Stallions defeated top team Senegal, but last Sat could only managed a draw at home to lowly Mozambique. To qualify for the tournament in Ghana, Burkina will have to improve their performence for the second round.

Continued frustration at US cotton subsidies
Burkina Faso and other West African countries are frustrated by the failure of the US to live up to its commitments at the WTO to address distortions caused by its subsidies in the global cotton trade. Although the latest conference saw the WTO committing itself to "an ambitious, expeditious, and specific outcome on cotton across all three pillars of the agriculture negotiations (export competition, domestic support, and market access)", there was little in the way of concrete change. Oxfam observed "donors did not commit additional funds to support a safety net for African producers, and the problem of US subsidies was hardly discussed."

African Ministers have expressed their opposition to the US' Farm Bill which will provide further assistance to American farmers. The 2007 Bill could boost aid to American cotton farmers by up to 66% and make it even harder for Africa's 15 million cotton farmers to compete with subsidised crops from the US. The four West African countries want an immediate solution to all trade-related aspects, such as the elimination of all forms of export subsidies for cotton in the US. The issue is directly affecting farmers in Burkina Faso and the economy of this, the fourth least-developed country in the world.

Economic growth and fight against corruption continue
The growth rate in Burkina was over 6% in 2006, despite the fall in cotton prices, increased oil prices, and the crisis in Cote d`Ivoire. Burkina has moved out of the bottom 3 on the UN Human Development Index for the first time in many years. AIDS levels have also fallen in the country. And the fight against corruption continues. The Anti-Corruption Network of African Parliamentarians (APNAC) held a seminar in capital Ouagadougou to "sensitise its members on the fight against graft. Statistics show Burkina Faso scores above average on five of six “ruling justly” indicators, three of four “investing in people” indicators, and three of six “economic freedom” indicators.

This has led to the country being registered among the beneficiaries of the multilateral debt cancellation initiative" and achieving MCA status, qualifying it for access to the US Millenium Challenge Account. However, Burkina Faso has apparently not yet submitted a proposal to the MCA.

Monsanto say Burkina Farmers want GM crops
Monsanto have put out this promotional video, showing Burkinabe farmers saying they want GM cotton. "Pests attack as the cotton is at the flowering stage," says Arzouma Soulama. "They make holes in the bolls and cause them to fall.” “On one hectare, I apply pesticide six times. … The treatment is one of the biggest difficulties. … If we no longer have to spray the cotton, it is a good thing for us.” Monsanto say "Insect-protected cotton contains a protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that protects cotton plants from specific lepidopteron insect pests. Bt cotton is effective in controlling the bollworms that are destroying the cotton crops in Burkina Faso and negatively impacting the harvest of these farmers." The debate of course is fierce. ISIS claim that the GM crops are neither good for the farmers or the environment, and report bribery and manipulation by the GM companies.

Burkina President oversees Cote d'Ivoire peace talks
Cote d'Ivoire: Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaore has again been playing his role of African mediator, overseeing the latest peace negotiations between the Ivorian government and rebels of the New Forces, led by Guillaume Soro, who have been in control of the northern half of the country since September 2002. Soro has now been appointed prime minister, and the plan has been endorsed by the UN. The instability in Cote d'Ivoire has had a massive impact on Burkina, since the country was the main trade route to the coast, and also home to millions of Burkinabe working and sending money home.

Calls for an end to EPAs
Burkina Faso and Ghana representatives have been calling for higher tariffs on imported goods and resistance to EPA's. EPAs are are a scheme to create a free trade area (FTA) between the European Union and the ACP countries, but have been criticised as being skewed in favour of rich countries, threatening to leave 750 million poor people worse off than ever. Tear Fund have assessed the impact of EPAs in Malawi and conclude that they pose a major threat to development and poverty reduction. They say that EPAs will

* reinforce Malawi’s position as an exporter of low-value, unprocessed commodities, undermining the Malawian government’s development strategy to ‘add value’ to agricultural goods and to develop a manufacturing sector

* undermine regional integration between Malawi and its neighbours

* lead to a significant loss of fiscal revenue and induce other major adjustment costs.

Christian Aid have likewise written a report demonstrating the "disastrous impact of trade liberalisation on the chicken and tomato industries in Ghana and Senegal." To campaign about EPAs go here.

World Bank $74m credit for rural development
The World Bank has announced $74 million credit to Burkina Faso in its continued fight against rural poverty. Also a $16.9m project backed by the UN International Fund for Agriculture Development will help the rural poor produce, process and sell different food commodities.

81% of the Burkina population live outside of towns, and the economy depends overwhelmingly on agriculture. Rural population growth and long-term rainfall changes are affecting land productivity and Burkina Faso has a fifteen year program to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in rural areas. The World Bank aid will support capacity building and investment activities at the local level, channelled through 302 newly created rural communes nationwide. Also IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, have launched a program to increase lending to small and medium enterprises with a $6m loan to Burkina Faso’s Banque Agricole et Commerciale du Burkina.

Women making a difference
A smattering of articles showing the important and growing role of women in Burkina:
The first ever woman as traditional chief took her place recently.
HIV-positive Pyane Djire is singing about AIDS to encourage women not to silent and suffer.
And a women's co-operative set up to teach women to read and write is not producing shea butter, which apparently has become Burkina's second-largest export after cotton, and is much sought after in the west for beauty products.

Workers get pay rise
Apparently Burkina Faso's Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest Yonli has announced a general salary increment of 5 percent for all workers starting from April 1, 2007. Yonli says this is aimed at "sharing the fruits of growth equitably".

Tags: burkina faso africa burkina meningitis football soccer cotton african nations cup development fespaco cinema gm subsidies epa ezra film movies