Health in Burundi

Burundi is one of the poorest African countries, burdened by a high prevalence of communicable, maternal, neonatal, nutritional, and non-communicable diseases. The burden of communicable diseases generally outweighs the burden of other diseases. Mothers and children are among those most vulnerable to this burden.

Civilians in Burundi have lived through years of conflict due to the civil war, leaving many civilians facing economic crisis. The government has had limited capacity to invest in the health system, so the health infrastructure is poor.

The link between health and poverty is undeniable. Many Burundians do not have access to primary health care. Despite this, the Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Burundi is fulfilling what it should be for the right to health based on income levels.

Burundi had the lowest consumption of antibiotics of any country in the world in 2015 with a rate of 4.4 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day.

Health status
As of 2019, the average life expectancy in Burundi is estimated at 62 years, up from 49 years in 2000.

Life expectancy in Burundi
Source:

Disability adjusted life years (DALYs)
As of 2019, the top five causes of DALYs per 100,000 of the population in Burundi for both sexes, of all ages, were maternal and neonatal diseases, respiratory infections and tuberculosis, enteric infections, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and malaria, and "other non-communicable" diseases.

Child mortality (under 5 years)
The under-5 mortality rate in Burundi is 1.6 times higher than that WHO has estimated for the African region. As this list illustrates maternal and neonatal disorders are the first causes of DALYs but the death rate decreased from 100 deaths per 1000 live births in1996 to 80 deaths in 2016.

These deaths have various causes but they have not been measured directly for each age group and gender. Research has shown that there are 3 main reasons for the hospitalization of children under 5 years. About 93% of all children aged 1 to 59 months old were hospitalized due to malaria, lung disease, or acute diarrhea. The malaria ratio was about 63%; this is why malaria is the main cause of death and hospitalization among choldren under five in Burundi.

Various causes are playing a role in reducing the under-5 mortality rate. The government implemented a pilot program to increase deliveries in hospitals and reclaim the quality of antenatal care. Experienced nurses and skilled birth attendants can prevent maternal and neonatal deaths. Between the years 2004 and 2008 the proportion of children who were delivered in health facilities by qualified staff increased from 76% to 94%.

HIV/AIDS
Jeanne Gapiya-Niyonzima was the first person from the country to publicly admit they had HIV. She founded the National Association of Support for Seropositive and AIDS Patients (ANSS). It was the first civil organisation in the country to provide support and treatment, including anti-retroviral therapy, for people with HIV and AIDS within the country.

Abortion
Abortion in Burundi is only legal if the abortion will save the woman's life or if the pregnancy gravely endangers the woman's physical, or potentially mental, health. In Burundi, two certified physicians must agree that the pregnancy is threatened before providing medical assistance. Even in cases in which a practitioner has deemed that the pregnancy has endangered the woman, both the physician and woman may be subject to prison time and fines.

Hospitals
There are 3 regional hospitals, 15 provincial hospitals, 33 district hospitals, and 509 health centers in Burundi. Notable hospitals include:
 * Bumerec Hospital
 * Bururi Hospital in Bururi Province
 * Clinic Prince Louis Rwagasore
 * Gitega Hospital (Gitega province, central Burundi)
 * Karuzi Hospital
 * KIRA Hospital
 * Matana Hospitals in Bururi Province
 * Muramvya Hospital (Muramvya province, central Burundi)
 * Muyinga Hospital
 * Ngozi Hospital (Ngozi Province, northern Burundi)
 * Polyclinic Central
 * Prince Louis Rwagasore Clinic in Bujumbura
 * Prince Regent Charles Hospital in Bujumbura, established in 1949
 * Roi Khaled Hospital (the Centre Hospitalo – Universitaire de Kamenge) in Bujumbura
 * Rumonge Hospital in Bururi Province