Describing safe motherhood programs for priority setting: The case of Burkina Faso

Objective: This study was implemented to describe safe motherhood programs in Burkina Faso for planning and programming purposes. Methods: Twenty safe motherhood programs were described from November 2003 through May 2004 using a structured questionnaire, interviews with safe motherhood program managers and document reviews. Results: Only 2 of the 20 programs were designed to improve the availability of comprehensive emergency obstetric care, and only 2 comprehensively addressed all components of skilled attendance at delivery. Other gaps identified included poor availability of baseline data, few monitoring measures, and lack of planning for evaluation needs. National geographical coverage was also uneven. Conclusion: A systematic overview of safe motherhood programs in a country can help to set priorities and aid in decision making for the allocation of resources towards contextually relevant strategies to curtail maternal mortality and severe morbidity. Planning for program design and evaluation may also be aided by such a process.