BUJUMBURA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Burundi has launched a national campaign to distribute insecticide-treated mosquito nets as part of its efforts to combat malaria.
The launch event, hosted by First Lady Angeline Ndayishimiye on Wednesday, took place in Kibumbu, located in the Mwaro district of Gitega Province in central Burundi.
Burundian officials and representatives of United Nations agencies and development and financial partners engaged in the health sector attended the event.
The campaign, which will run until Dec. 1, was launched in Kibumbu due to the fact that the area is the worst hit by malaria, according to the first lady.
She also seized the opportunity to urge stakeholders, including financial partners in the Burundian health sector, to ensure the availability of malaria vaccines, first introduced in the country in April 2024, and supply them to the most affected areas.
Lydwine Baradahana, minister of public health and the fight against AIDS, noted that malaria remains a "health threat" in Burundi.
"Last year, six million people were diagnosed with malaria. While during the first semester of this year, at least three million people were diagnosed with the disease," said Baradahana.
According to the minister, 7,975,890 mosquito nets will be distributed to the population during the campaign, adding that 234,100 mosquito nets have already been distributed in Busoni and Mukenke via a digital system. ■
