GITEGA October 16t (ABP) – The Vénuste Niyongabo Foundation, in collaboration with the Italian association, friends of Béatrice, have organized, since Thursday, October 12, 2023, at the Higher Paramedical Institute of Gitega (center of the country), two-day training for health personnel from the Gitega regional hospital, the Umugiraneza and Wakize Polyclinics and the Ngozi hospital.
That training was based on chronic non- communicable diseases and the chronic care model. Those include high blood pressure, mental illnesses, and diabetes mellitus and so on.
The socio-cultural advisor to the governor of Gitega, Samuel Nininahazwe welcomed that initiative of that Burundian living abroad, aimed at promoting good health for all. He called on other members of the Diaspora to follow suit, in order to develop the country. Mr. Nininahazwe also called on these Italian doctors to be good ambassadors of Burundi and to look for other benefactors who can come and help in different sectors of national life. On that occasion, Mr. Vénuste Niyongabo indicated that he will continue that project, by bringing specialists in different sectors, to exchange experiences with Burundian doctors. He noted that his objective is to promote quality education, good health for all and the integral development of man with particular attention to vulnerable people.
He, in fact, pointed out that his foundation enjoys a partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS.
He asked the beneficiaries of that training to practice what they have learned, in order to promote the health of patients.
Based on estimates from the World Health Organization in 2018, Dr. Claudio Pardini, in his presentation reported that chronic non-communicable diseases in Burundi are responsible for 32% of all deaths and the risk of premature death between 30 and 70 years, due to those diseases, is 23%.
He also noted that this report shows that chronic non-communicable diseases are also constantly increasing in Africa. It is for that reason, according to him, that a new model of care based on an integral approach to chronic patients is necessary. Note that 65 people who followed that training received certificates.