Abstract
Successive Maternal and Child Health policies during last three decades in the Global South were based on a quantitative approach to reproductive risk, with a homogeneous vision of women's life experiences. On the contrary, the anthropological approach defines risk as a social construction and considers that populations assess and prioritize their exposure risks in a relevant manner.Our approach is based on a long-term ethnographic study in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) and its environment. We conducted formal and informal interviews with women, their families and key informants. Contextual observations in urban and rural areas complete the data set.Our results show a form of trivialization of HIV/AIDS risk in its bioclinical aspects. However, although less visible, stigma is persisting, and the social dimension of disease are still a threat. Our research describes the living and working conditions of poor women. It highlights their exposure to risk related to women's work in both rural areas and cities. It specifically examines the risk associated with the current intensive use of pesticides, which particularly concern women.In addition, our research shows how women perceive the healthcare system as a threat. This perception of risk related to care is part of a broader context of « crisis of confidence » in the health care system that creates « mistreatments », especially among pregnant women.This doctoral research reveals the neglected and « not quantified » risks perceived by women. It contributes to the recognition of environment related risks and informal working conditions as major public health problems affecting mothers and children in West Africa.