Context:

Burundi is experiencing a multifaceted crisis, marked by political instability, repeated climatic shocks and widespread poverty affecting more than 87% of the population. Access to health services remains limited, particularly in rural areas, despite the geographical proximity of health facilities for the majority of the population.


Health indicators continue to give cause for concern, particularly in terms of sexual and reproductive health, with one of the highest fertility rates in the world (5.2), high maternal mortality (334 per 100,000 live births) and low use of family planning. In Ngozi province, these challenges are exacerbated by difficulties in accessing primary care and the presence of refugee populations, such as in the Musasa camp. Faced with this situation, it is essential to strengthen community-based approaches to reconnect vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women, with quality health services.


Objectives:

The Haranire Amaraga Meza project aims to help improve access to and the quality of primary healthcare in the three health districts of Ngozi province: Ngozi, Buye and Kiremba. To achieve this general objective, the project has two main focuses. Firstly, it is building the capacity of community players, in particular the Health Committees (COSA), in order to consolidate community management of healthcare in the target districts.

Secondly, it aims to guarantee quality primary healthcare, with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive health, by strengthening the technical and organisational skills of health staff and community health workers (CHWs) in 12 targeted maternity units.

Main activities:

The project is deploying a range of activities structured around community capacity-building, improving access to and quality of care, and raising awareness of sexual and reproductive health:

  • Training and support for COSAs (Health Committees) in setting up and managing Solidarity Groups (GS) and co-managing health centres.
  • Support for the activities of the COSAs
  • Strengthening the medical skills of healthcare staff (midwives, nurses, TPS) through targeted training in basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care (SONUB) and behaviour change communication in SRH.
  • Material and infrastructure support for health facilities (medical equipment, renovation of delivery rooms).
  • Training of CHWs and community mobilisation via Community Health Workers (CHWs) to raise awareness among women of childbearing age of the importance of antenatal and postnatal care and family planning.
  • Monitoring, supervision and active involvement of local authorities to ensure the sustainability and integration of actions into existing structures.

Expected results:

The project aims to achieve a number of concrete results:

  • Promotion and application of the Solidarity Group (SG) model in the intervention zone, to strengthen community cohesion around health issues.
  • Strengthening the role of 54 Health Committees (COSA) in the administrative and financial co-management of health facilities (FOSA).
  • Improving the skills of 17 midwives and nurses in the 12 targeted maternity units (including the health centre in the Musasa refugee camp), in terms of managing basic obstetric and neonatal emergencies (SONUB).
  • Capacity-building for 15 TPSs and 216 community health workers (CHWs) in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) awareness-raising techniques Improved knowledge of reproductive health at community level, with a particular focus on women of childbearing age through awareness-raising by CHWs.