Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. African cities grow and multiply at an impressive speed. Djicofé is one of the districts of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso. As many other African cities, Ouagadougou is affected by wild urbanization that the local government fails to effectively oppose. They call them "bidonville", "favelas", "slums", but whatever the name is, they are always poor and degraded neighborhoods, "informal" settlements without running water, sanitation systems, transports and relevant health services. Ghettos of mud and plates housing two-thirds of the current urban population.

Manga, Burkina Faso. A child receiving treatment from a traditional healer in the Manga, in Burkina Faso province. In Africa, illness and magic seem to be intimately related. Even in the presence of a medical cause, illness is often interpreted as the consequence of a magical act done to the sick person or, more generally, as the result of an interference caused by the invisible world forces.
When a child or an adult presents an infection, the traditional healer tries to make "toxic" blood flow through tribal marks around the belly button.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. Choosing to use traditional doctors rather than Western medicine hospitals often becomes the only option for chronic diseases whose treatment is particularly long and challenging. Belem is an ingenious and determined physiotherapist who helps many patients in the functional recovery of motor disorders and disabilities.

Koupela, Burkina Faso. A healer in her doctor's office. In Africa, illness and magic seem to be intimately related. Even in the presence of a medical cause, illness is often interpreted as the consequence of a magical act done to the damages of the sick person or, more generally, as the result of an interference caused by the invisible world forces.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. A healer's medical office in the Ouagadougou suburban township.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. In the clinic of Belem, a physiotherapist who helps many patients in the functional recovery of motor disabilities. Every day, the patients relatives stay alongside their loved ones, providing psychological support and helping the center's activities to prepare fires under the nursing points, helping with exercises, preparing meals, and cleaning the center.

Manga, Burkina Faso. The scars on his face are the traditional scarifications of the mosi people.

Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The waiting room of Madame Pharmacies, a gynecologist that treats patients exclusively with medicinal herbs. In this context of absolute poverty and misinformation, medicinal plants, traditional treatments and "healers" are the main, and sometimes the only, source of health care.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The slum of Djicofé one of the districts of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso