GITEGA February 13th (ABP) – The staff in charge of hygiene in the urban center of Gitega, home to the political capital of Burundi (center of the country), is called upon to redouble their efforts in raising awareness among city dwellers on the need to take urban hygiene measures seriously. Violators of the hygiene rule should be subject to sanctions so as not to induce the population in the risk of morbidity and/or mortality due to malaria, contagious diseases (diarrheal diseases, diseases of dirty hands) and respiratory or skin infections.
That remark was made during a meeting to present the results of the hygiene competition for urban centers, organized on Thursday, February 9, 2023, by the provincial health office of Gitega, with the support of Memisa Belgium, for the administrators of the communes hosting urban centers (CVU) and constituting gateways to the city of Gitega, holders of health promotion and members of hygiene committees in the same communes.
A total of ten CVUs had been the subject to the competition and public places (bars, restaurants and markets) were targets. The CVU of Kibimba (84%), commune of Giheta and gateway to the city of Gitega, to the West, occupied the first place, followed by the CVU of Gihamagara (81%), in the commune of Itaba, to the east of the city of Gitega and the CVU of Maramvya (80%), in the commune of Makebuko, to the south of the city of Gitega. The CVUs of the Bugendana and Mutaho communes (north of the town of Gitega), respectively occupied the 4th and 5th places. Neighborhoods of the Gitega City positioned at the bottom of ranking include the Musinzira quarter which ranked last with 42%.
Speaking about the deep reasons that undermine hygiene in the neighborhoods of the city of Gitega, the chief of staff in the office of the governor of Gitega province, Mr. Gérard Nibigira, put the blame on the flow of people who migrate from the countryside to that city to carry out spontaneous commercial activities and in disrespect for hygiene measures. Administrative measures will be applied to discourage such people, he said.
For the participants in the meeting, the hygienic state of the offices of the public services is also lacking and wished that they were also inspected to remedy the situation. Schools and prisons are also included, they added. The coordinator of the NGO Memisa Belgium, Dr Édouard Nkurunziza, believes that strong strategies must be taken to restore the image of Gitega, the political capital of Burundi, in terms of hygiene. Thus, he proposed a special plan relating to it to call on the urban administration and the hygiene staff to stay focused on that sector.