Gathered for their sixth general assembly on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Ouagadougou, members of the Union of Public Pharmaceutical Depot Managers and Cashiers of Burkina Faso once again appealed to authorities about their working conditions. Their core demand is the adoption of an official status for a profession they believe is vital to the health system.
Under the theme “Resilience of volunteers serving the people,” the assembly allowed participants to voice their growing concerns about an increasingly worrisome situation.
According to Ousmane Bolly, president of the Union of Public Pharmaceutical Depot Managers and Cashiers of Burkina Faso, many managers have been working for decades without a clearly defined professional framework. “The people you see here have worked for 20 or 30 years, yet some do not even earn the minimum wage,” he lamented.
The organization says it represents more than 3,000 managers across all health districts in the country.
Lack of official status at the heart of difficulties
For union leaders, the main problem remains the absence of a regulatory text governing the profession of public pharmaceutical depot manager or cashier. This situation leaves these workers highly vulnerable, exposing them to what they describe as abusive dismissals when they demand better working conditions.
Ousmane Bolly said some agents are even afraid to publicly show their membership in the union for fear of professional retaliation.
Insufficient salaries
Participants also denounced the low pay granted to these workers. With monthly incomes often ranging between 20,000 and 25,000 FCFA, they say they can no longer cope with the rising cost of living.
Yet, they stress, pharmaceutical depot managers ensure the daily distribution of medicines and welcome patients at health facilities, some of which are heavily burdened.
Steps taken over several years
The union says it has multiplied initiatives since 2020 to improve its situation.
- meetings with the ministries of Health and Civil Service;
- audiences with the Presidency of Faso;
- participation in several workshops on managing pharmaceutical facilities.
Despite these efforts, union leaders regret the lack of concrete progress. The union indicates it has completed a full census of its members and transmitted the data to the relevant authorities to facilitate the establishment of a regularization framework.
It now calls for stronger state involvement in upgrading this profession, arguing that the revenue generated by pharmaceutical depots alone cannot ensure lasting improvements in working conditions.
At the close of the general assembly, Ousmane Bolly praised the participants’ mobilization and urged the authorities to respond quickly to their concerns.
