Burkina Faso: pharmacy depot managers demand official status after decades of low pay

Gathered in Ouagadougou for their sixth general assembly on Saturday, June 6, 2026, members of the Union of Managers and Cashiers of Public Pharmaceutical Depots of Burkina Faso once again appealed to the authorities regarding their working conditions. At the core of their demands is the adoption of an official status for a profession they consider essential to the health system’s functioning.

Under the theme “Resilience of volunteers serving the people,” this general assembly allowed participants to voice their growing concern over a situation they deem increasingly alarming.

According to Ousmane Bolly, president of the Union of Managers and Cashiers of Public Pharmaceutical Depots of Burkina Faso, many managers have worked for decades without a clearly defined professional framework. “The people you see here have been working for 20 or 30 years, yet some do not even earn the minimum wage,” he lamented.

The organisation claims to represent over 3,000 managers across all health districts in the country.

Lack of status at the heart of difficulties

Union leaders say the main issue is 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.

According to Ousmane Bolly, some agents even fear publicly acknowledging their membership in the union due to fear of professional retaliation.

Insufficient wages

Participants also decried the low remuneration levels for these agents. 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, depot managers ensure the daily distribution of medicines and welcome patients in often heavily burdened health facilities.

Years of advocacy

The union says it has launched multiple initiatives since 2020 to secure improvements:

• meetings with the ministries of Health and Public Service;
• audiences with the Presidency of Faso;
• participation in several workshops on the management of pharmaceutical structures.

Despite these efforts, union leaders regret the lack of concrete progress. They say they have completed a full census of their members and transmitted the data to the relevant authorities to facilitate the creation of a regularisation framework.

The union now calls for stronger state involvement in upgrading this profession, arguing that the revenues generated by pharmaceutical depots alone cannot ensure lasting improvements in working conditions.

Closing the general assembly, Ousmane Bolly praised the turnout and urged the authorities to respond swiftly to their concerns.