BUJUMBURA, February 12th (ABP) – The United Nations Population Fund to Burundi (UNFPA) proceeded, on Friday, February 9, 2024, to the closing of a workshop of the 8th cycle of its program and the launch of the 9th cycle of program.
On that occasion, the resident representative of UNFPA to Burundi, Mr. Judicaël Elidje, indicated that the aim of the workshop was to celebrate the closing of a program which started in 2019 and ended in 2023.
According to him, it was a question of analyzing certain progress made in the implementation of the previous program by highlighting the favorable factors and constraints having influenced the results obtained, and also of sharing lessons taken. This program, aligned with national priorities, brings strategic interventions that
mainly on strengthening the order of quality family planning services; equitable access to maternal health care, including prevention of obstetric fistula; improving the reproductive health of adolescents and young people; improving the quality of prevention and treatment of gender-based violence; the participation of young people and adolescents in social cohesion, community security, the production and use of data in preparation for the general population, housing, agriculture and livestock census underway.
Referring to the consumer results of the UNFPA strategic plan, it is important to point out that a certain number of tangible progress has been achieved despite the challenges encountered, insisted the UNFPA resident representative in Burundi.
Furthermore, the maternal mortality rate has fallen, he reassured, reporting that 5,743 cases of maternal deaths were avoided and that 2,222,460 adolescents and young people benefited from training on nutritional and reproductive health during this period of last cycle, he noted.
Mr. Elidje also indicated that UNFPA has noted an improvement in the delivery rate at the level of health facilities and an evolution in performance in terms of family planning. The example is that at the level of health facilities, there is an increase in women of childbearing age who use modern contraceptive methods.
On the same occasion, the resident representative of UNFPA in Burundi officially declared the launch of the 9th cycle of the cooperation program between the Republic of Burundi and UNFPA for the period 2024-2027. He did not fail to specify that the leadership of the government, co-led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, is inclusive, participatory and procreative.
Regarding the current program, Mr. Elidje said that there will be improvement in the quality of care, building of national mechanisms and the capacities of institutions and actors in order to fight for the social standards of discriminatory people, strengthening the skills of young people and adolescents, without forgetting the improvement of the production and use of data supporting development planning.
For his part, the Director General of Multilateral Relations at the Ministry in charge of Development Cooperation, Mr. Gaudence Sindayigaya, indicated that this ministry appreciates the cooperation between UNFPA and the government of Burundi. He commends the multiple efforts of UNFPA towards the people of Burundi as part of its mission focused in particular on advocacy and social mobilization with a view to strengthening political action in various sectors.
Mr. Sindayigaya strongly hopes that during this new 2024-2027 cycle, the results of UNFPA will be expected, especially with improvements in the field of family planning, maternal mortality and gender-based violence, as well as other harmful practices. He took the opportunity to express his deep gratitude to all UNFPA partners who contributed to UNFPA achieving a considerable result.
Note that during this workshop, different UNFPA beneficiaries were able to share, through testimonies, their socio-economic situations before and after UNFPA support.