© Jessica Dimmock/VII Network

Malnutrition is a chronic problem in Burkina Faso, but hits particularly hard in the period between the two annual harvests, known as the “hunger gap”.

© Kazuma Moimoi Around 80 per cent of the 14.3 million people in Burkina Faso depend on subsistence farming, and it is often a struggle for farmers to produce sufficient food for their families. This can particularly affect children because if they do not get the nutrients and vitamins they need in the early phase of life, their mental and physical development can be impaired. They also become susceptible to infections and potentially fatal illnesses. Since 2007 MSF has been working in two provinces in the north of Burkina Faso where childhood malnutrition is frequently found.

© Kazuma Momoi

Around 80 per cent of the 14.3 million people in Burkina Faso depend on subsistence farming, and it is often a struggle for farmers to produce sufficient food for their families. This can particularly affect children because if they do not get the nutrients and vitamins they need in the early phase of life, their mental and physical development can be impaired. They also become susceptible to infections and potentially fatal illnesses. Since 2007 MSF has been working in two provinces in the north of Burkina Faso where childhood malnutrition is frequently found.