GITEGA, January 24th (ABP) – The Ministry of public health and the fight against AIDS, with financial support from the World Health Organization “WHO”, has organized since Wednesday, January 22, 2025, in Gitega (political capital and Center of Burundi), a 3-day workshop on the intra-action review “RIA” of the response plan to the Mpox disease, a check by ABP revealed.
During the meeting organized for the various stakeholders in the field of health in Burundi, the Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS, Dr. Lydwine Baradahana, said that it was organized with the aim of taking stock of the progress of their efforts, analyzing in detail the results obtained, assessing the weak points, identifying the challenges encountered in this first phase of intervention and formulating recommendations for the months to come.
Dr. Baradahana pointed out that since July 25, 2024, the day the Ministry in charge of public health declared the first case of Mpox in Burundi until today, Burundi has already noted remarkable progress in controlling the spread of the disease, following the combined response efforts of all stakeholders. She disclosed that until January 19, 2025, Burundi has already recorded 3,236 cases of Mpox and only one case of death. Among these cases, she explained, 207 people are still being treated while 3029 people have been cured.
Mrs. Baradahana added that the evolution shows a regression in all health districts because, she indicated, 46 health districts in Burundi were affected by the disease but, currently, only 15 health districts are active.
She thus specified that this disease remains concentrated in 5 health districts, mainly in Bujumbura City and the city of Gitega.
She highly praised the involvement of partners and the administration in raising awareness among the people against the disease. She specifically encouraged the mayor of the city of Bujumbura, Mr. Jimmy Hatungimana, who took concrete measures including the closure of certain hotels that participated in the spread of the disease.
The governor of the Gitega province, for his part, said that the health situation in the province is improving properly thanks to the medical teams deployed in the provinces to provide health care to the people. He indicated that until the morning of Wednesday, the Gitega province has only 8 cases in hospital, while the province had recorded several cases of contamination during the first days of the appearance of the disease. Most of the cases, according to him, were children but, currently, they are adults.
He did not forget to point out that despite this success they found out that on the ground people do not respect the instructions for prevention against Mpox.