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. The "waiting room" of a traditional doctor. Burkina Faso has about 17 million inhabitants and an area of about 275 thousand square kilometers, a size slightly lower than Italy. It is one of the poorest countries in the world: 44.5% of the population lives with less than $1.25 a day. Burkina Faso is at the 183rd place out of 187 in the UN Human Development Index, a rating that considers a number of factors such as education and life expectancy.

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.

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

Koupela, Burkina Faso. Tenkodogo, a local healer woman.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of the African population uses traditional medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs. For many people in these countries, this is the only source of possible, accessible and affordable health care. In this context of absolute poverty and misinformation, medicinal plants, traditional treatments and "healers" are the main, and sometimes the only, cure.

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.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. Amina, a 4 year old girl, was treated with the heat of fire by a traditional doctor. In Burkina Faso, public health care is a paid service and for most people it is impossible to afford the cure for a disease. The few people able to start a therapy, are often forced to stop for lack of money. In this context of absolute poverty and misinformation, medicinal plants, traditional treatments and "healers" are the main, and sometimes the only, cure.

Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. A traditions healer in Bobo Dioulasso.

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. A doctor in her office in the Ouagadougu hospital.

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.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. A rehabilitation treatment based on Karitè butter in the Belem clinic. Choosing to use traditional doctors rather than Western medicine hospitals is often the only option for chronic diseases whose treatment is particularly long and challenging, such as in rehabilitation from motor impairments and disability due to accidents, paresis, ischemia.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. The clinic of Belem, a physiotherapist who helps many patients in the functional recovery of motor disabilities.

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

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. 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. During these rituals, shells are often asked to identify the cause of evil.

Koupela, Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has to fight daily against chronic lack of water. People, forced to drink pond water, often die from the diseases transmitted by this unhealthy water. The shortage of water wells in Burkina Faso is one of the main factors that keeps most of the population in a state of underdevelopment. Several health problems derive from the poor access to drinking water. It is estimated that only 25% of the population has access to water, a percentage that drops considerably in urban slums where the few wells are managed by unscrupulous traders who sell water at a high price.

Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Patients waiting outside a dispensary at a rural hospital.

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.

Ouagadougo, Burkina Faso. A traditions healer.

Manga, Burkina Faso. A woman with her baby girl from a traditional healer. In a country where there is only one doctor every 20,000 people and 1 hospital bed per 2,500 people, access to care is difficult.

Manga, Burkina Faso. A Man receiving treatment from a traditional healer in the Manga in Burkina Faso province.

Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. The clinic of Belem, a physiotherapist who helps many patients in the functional recovery of motor disabilities.

Koupela, Burkina Faso. In West Africa where the boundary between medicine and mysticism is subtle, many women are still accused of being witches, persecuted, burned alive, or "socially killed". Cecile Sawadogo, is a woman accused of witchcraft. She lost her sight in a fire during her hunting, and found shelter in the reception center of Saint Lazare in Koupela, where she was abandoned by the community. She spends her time sitting on the ground of her room. Her story is primitive and tragic, a ruthless ritual to which none of these women accused of witchcraft could escape.

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