[Mapping Access to Hypertension Management Services by General Practitioners in Burkina Faso in 2020]

Introduction: arterial hypertension (AH) is a public health problem in Burkina Faso. Its management is not the sole responsibility of the specialist but requires the participation of all healthcare actors within a care network, with the involvement of those at the forefront. This study aimed to analyse and map the capacity for managing hypertension in Burkina Faso.

Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among general practitioners in Burkina Faso via social networks. Sampling was carried out voluntarily.

Results: our study involved 182 general practitioners with a sex ratio of 2.7: 1. The average age of the physicians was 31 years with an average professional experience of 2.7 years. The WHO minimum assessment for the management of hypertension was available for 80% of doctors and in 74% of the towns. Most physicians (96%) limited their treatment to antihypertensive dual therapy, frequently prescribing calcium channel blockers (75.8%), converting enzyme inhibitors (51.6%), and diuretics (40.7%). Specialist advice was sought in the event of uncontrolled hypertension (52.8%), with little interaction with specialists: only 20.3% of counter-referrals. Most physicians (93%) wished to participate in an AH management care network, but 98.4% needed training.

Conclusion: Burkina Faso has an uneven distribution of AH management resources. Physicians' skills need to be enhanced to improve the quality of care. Better management of resources and establishing a care network would allow better coordination of activities and improve the management of hypertension.