Burundi cholera outbreak: “Thank God, my family has recovered”

Respond immediately

Cholera is common in the coastal areas of Lake Tanganyika and the Rusisi River, with an average of 200 to 250 people infected each year in Burundi. But every five or six years, the country sees a surge in cholera cases. During the 2013 cholera outbreak, 936 people were infected and 17 died in Bubanza and Cibitoke provinces.

“The outbreak has developed particularly rapidly this year, affecting Bujumbura, the country’s most densely populated city,” said Julien Binay, legal representative of MSF in Burundi. “Given the scale and risk of the outbreak, we immediately began working with the authorities to support treatment centres.”

For many years, MSF has been the main humanitarian organization supporting the Ministry of Health and local authorities in treating cholera patients. This close collaboration includes providing medical inputs, training staff, conducting awareness campaigns, and setting up cholera treatment centers as needed during the year.