BUJUMBURA, June 10 (ABP) – All multisector stakeholders should take part in addressing the challenges related to sexual and reproductive health or family planning, stated Sonia Akimana, project manager at the NGO TWITEZIMBERE asbl, during a learning workshop on outcome harvesting for community leaders from the intervention zones of the Multi-Sectoral Engagement project (MSE), held in Bujumbura.
This workshop, which brought together the five northern provinces of Burundi, Muyinga, Kirundo, Ngozi, Kayanza, and Gitega, was organized by TWITEZIMBERE ASBL with the support of the Republic of Burundi, Health Action International (HAI), and the Embassy of the Netherlands. The aim was to encourage multisectoral action for family planning in Burundi to ensure a fair, prosperous, and inclusive Burundian society.
In her presentation, Mrs. Akimana emphasized that women and girls face sexual and reproductive health (SRH/FP) challenges such as obstetric fistula, infections, gender-based violence (GBV), and HIV/AIDS, which can even lead to death or suicide.
To assess progress, she explained that multisectoral actors conduct a project analysis from start to finish. This begins with an initial assessment of the problem and its impact on the community, with the goal of achieving a positive outcome.
She stressed that understanding vulnerabilities requires community leaders and stakeholders to advocate for the voices of these vulnerable groups to be heard.
She also called on media and religious representatives to propose advocacy ideas to help adolescents and youth escape these issues.
For her part, Dr. Annick Gahimbare, in charge of research, and monitoring and evaluation for the MSE project, focused on a summary of Burundi’s demographic and health situation, with a particular emphasis on the challenges of maternal mortality.
She cited an alarming example: 334 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016–2017, according to the National Reproductive Health Program (PNSR). She also highlighted a high total fertility rate (TFR) of 5.5 children per woman in 2016–2017, which reflects low acceptance and use of family planning methods, with a contraceptive prevalence rate of just 18% among all women of reproductive age in 2016–2017.
Unmet needs in family planning were also concerning: 30% in 2016–2017. The percentage of adolescents aged 15 to 18 who had begun childbearing was 8% in 2016 (DHS 2016–2017).
The number of school-based pregnancies nationwide dropped from 1,268 in the 2018–2019 school year to 1,233 the following year, and to 1,019 in 2021–2022, according to a report from the ministry of education.
As a response, the PNSR has developed a reproductive health policy focused on key components such as safe motherhood, neonatal health, family planning, prevention and treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunctions, prevention and care for abortions, and the prevention and management of STIs and HIV/AIDS. The reproductive health of adolescents and youth is also a core priority.
To more effectively tackle SRH/FP challenges, Dr. Gahimbare emphasized that all actors: media, religious leaders, and civil society organizations must engage in promoting dialogue to reduce problems stemming from a lack of understanding of vulnerabilities related to sexual and reproductive health and family planning.
Through in-depth exercises conducted during the workshop, participants identified various SRH-related challenges that hinder healthy lives for youth and adults in the five provinces.
Finally, the TWITEZIMBERE project manager, Mrs. Akimana, proposed organizing advocacy initiatives to better collect evidence of change, with each province addressing its specific issues.