Burundi's community-based care

At the community level, community health workers include malaria treatment, HIV prevention and finding those lost to TB treatment in their service package. There are 11,845 community health workers, one per “sous-colline” [a secondary subdivision of a commune], who benefit from performance-based funding, indicators for which are funded with support from the national government, the World Bank, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the German Development Bank (KfW).  

Until the end of 2019, the Global Fund granted incentives to community health workers in the health districts not covered by performance-based funding to carry out community activities (in Bujumbura province, Rutana, Bujumbura Mairie, Bururi and Rumonge) in 163 groups of community health workers.  

Coordination 

Quarterly meetings are held with all malaria control partners. In addition, the malaria program reports progress to the CPSD, which acts as a coordination platform for all health partners. 

Role 

Community health workers focus on local sanitation, communication, curative care, including diagnosis of malaria with rapid diagnostic tests, dispensing of ACT, oral rehydration solution, zinc and dispersible amoxicillin 

Community health workers and community-based organizations, alongside groups of community health workers, are involved in preparation activities for the mass LLIN distribution campaigns through awareness-raising and determining the number of households that should receive them. For IRS campaigns, “colline” leaders assist the health promotion technicians in identifying beneficiary households and selecting staff to carry out spraying.