Young children affected by forced displacement in Burkina Faso face excess mortality despite good coverage of perinatal care interventions

Bruno Lankoandé, Joseph Ki-Zerbo University (UJKZ)
Bruno Masquelier, Louvain University (UCL)
Kassoum Dianou, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) - Centre for demographic research

The ongoing complex emergency in Burkina has led to a surge in internally displaced persons, surpassing two million individuals seeking refuge in camps or with host families. Leveraging data from Burkina Faso’s latest 2021 DHS, this study investigates whether children born to women who underwent forced displacement face elevated mortality risks. Additionally, we assess the coverage of essential health interventions during early childhood. Distinguishing between children born before and after forced migration, we detect significant excess mortality before the first birthday of children born after the migration, compared with children of non-migrant women. Surprisingly, this excess mortality is not attributable to gaps in the continuum of care. Antenatal care, skilled attendance at birth, and vaccinations for children of women who experienced forced migration do not significantly differ from those of non-migrant counterparts. More research is needed to make sense of the excess mortality of infants who have experienced forced displacement.