GITEGA September 12th (ABP) – The First Lady of Burundi, Mrs. Angeline Ndayishimiye, on Friday, September 9, 2022, officially launched the campaign for the treatment of obstetric fistulas in the premises of the regional hospital of Gitega (center from the country). This hospital structure also houses the Urumuri center treating said fistulas. That is the work of the “Bonne Action” foundation, legally represented by the First Lady of Burundi.
In her speech for the occasion, Mrs. Ndayishimiye said that this campaign will last two months, that is to say from 9/9/2022 to 5/11/2022. She specified that the objective pursued is to bring women suffering from obstetric fistulas to break the silence and confide in the Urumuri center for treatment.
Speaking about the target people for that disease, Mrs. Ndayishimiye cited, among other things, pregnant women who did not attend prenatal consultations in health facilities, underage girls who become pregnant, close births and early marriages of girls. As a result, she added, victims end up in stigmatization from their spouses and the social environment or suffer repudiation. Nor can they participate in family development activities.
Faced with that situation, the First Lady of the country called on the Burundians to change their behavior. She advised women to devote themselves to prenatal consultation and family planning, girls to marry at the age of physical maturity and the spouses of women with fistulas to support their wives, reminding them that they promised before God and the State, at the time of the marriage, to love each other during the moments of joy or misfortune until death. She thanked UNFPA for its multiple support to the Urumuri center.
As for the ministry in charge of public health and the staff of the Urumuri center, Mrs. Ndayishimiye expressed her warm words of thanks for their self-sacrifice in the follow-up of the patients and encouraged them to always go forward.
Previously, the UNFPA representative and the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS had converged in their communication to salute the active involvement of the First Lady of Burundi for her contribution in improving the health of the Burundians.
At the end of her message, the first lady gave aid consisting of food, kitchen utensils as well as sleeping and sanitary equipment to the patients accommodated in the Urumuri center.