BUJUMBURA, March 20th (ABP) – The Ministry of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS (MSPLS), through its National Reproductive Health Program (PNSR), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), jointly organized a media workshop on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Bujumbura, to officially announce the results from the media competition on family planning. This media competition on family planning was organized over a three-month period, from September 10 to November 9, 2024.
The Director of the National Reproductive Health Programme (PNSR), Dr. Ananie Ndacayisaba, who represented the Ministry of Health, stated that family planning is an essential lever in reducing maternal and infant mortality and promotes family well-being by enabling couples and individuals to make informed choices about their reproductive health and to have the desired number of children, as well as the timing and spacing of their births.
One of the objectives of Burundi’s vision of “emerging country by 2040 and developed country in 2060” in family planning is to achieve a modern contraceptive method use rate of 60% by 2040, compared to 85% by 2060, he stated. According to Mr. Ndacayisaba, family planning is one of the most effective and proven strategies in the fight against maternal and infant mortality because women and couples who have access to family planning, particularly modern methods of contraception, can avoid unwanted pregnancies and space their births.
Thanks to these methods, he continued to say, women are much less likely to die in childbirth or be exposed to long-term health problems. According to Dr. Ndacayisaba, when women and couples are given the opportunity to decide whether and when to have children, women have greater autonomy within their homes and can earn a better living. “Yet thousands of women want to avoid pregnancy but are unable to access effective family planning methods, either because they lack access to the necessary information and services, or because they are not supported by their partners or communities,” he deplored.
This competition is not only a recognition of the best media productions on this subject, but also an opportunity to highlight the importance of continuing, outside of this competition, to advocate for universal access by shedding light on ignored problems. Contributions are essential to ensure that FP is not just an abstract concept, but a reality experienced by all, he mentioned.
He asked everyone to be inclusive of this message because family planning does not only concern women, but also men and communities as a whole. “It is our collective responsibility to promote a culture of shared responsibility, respectful dialogue and mutual support in reproductive health,” he said, congratulating the winners of the competition for the work accomplished. He encouraged them to continue on this path and continue to inspire others to invest in the promotion of family planning.
Dr. Pierre Kacou Konan, UNFPA Programme Officer, stated that this competition highlighted the talent and commitment of Burundian journalists to inform, raise awareness, and educate the public about the benefits of family planning. He thanked the participants for their high-quality productions, which demonstrate their professionalism and their commitment to contributing to their country’s development.
He emphasized that the media play a crucial role in promoting family planning. The endorsement of the media by health and development stakeholders is essential to ensure effective and sustainable communication on family planning.
Those activities ended with the presentation of awards to the five winners of the competition: Emery Nimbona from National radio and TV of Burundi, Evelyne Ndoricimpa from Radio Umuco FM, Christian Zinga from Radio Colombe FM, Samuel Niyokwizera from Radio Ivyizigiro, and Marie Rose Mpekerimana from the newspaper Le Renouveau. Each winner received a tablet, while the media they represented each received a sound recorder.