Burundi, a landlocked country in East Africa, has long grappled with the persistent challenge of high chronic malnutrition rates. In 2019, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that Burundi has one of the highest rates of stunted growth among children at 54%. It also reported that 58.8% of children living in rural areas face an increased risk of experiencing stunted growth. Here is more about malnutrition in Burundi.

The Challenges

Food insecurity, inadequate health care infrastructure and socioeconomic challenges have long contributed to the cycle of malnutrition among the less privileged in Burundi. The Burundian government has made substantial efforts to change this status quo.

Over the years, the government has made significant efforts to bring the country’s acute malnutrition rates down to 4.8%. Recent plans, which a partnership with UNICEF facilitated, are implementing comprehensive strategies targeting the combat of chronic malnutrition in Burundi through a multisectoral approach.

Vitamin Supplements and Health Advice

UNICEF has backed several government initiatives targeting children and breastfeeding mothers, including a nationwide campaign to increase access to vitamin supplements. In 2023, 1.2 million children aged 4 to 6 received two doses of vitamin A supplements, while 500,000 children under the age of 2 received access to micronutrient powders. The supplements were accompanied by hygiene, sanitation and food care advice handed out to more than 500,000 mothers and caretakers. More than 245,000 women benefited from a targeted service aimed at reducing anemia and malnutrition rates. More than 75,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition received sufficient health care as part of the initiative. This health program aims address and improve chronic malnutrition rates in 2024.

Steering Committee (COPIL) Project

In September 2023, the second Steering Committee met to implement the third phase of a project fighting malnutrition in Burundi’s most vulnerable provinces, including Kayanza, Muyinga and Ngozi. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has invested nine million Swiss francs into the project since December 2021. The initial two phases of the project were effectively executed in Ngozi from 2013 to 2021, resulting in a notable reduction in chronic malnutrition rates among children under the age of 5 in the province. The project’s third phase intends to reduce chronic malnutrition rates to 5% across at least 60% of populations spread across Ngozi, Buye, Kiremba and Gahombo. The committee made adjustments after it examined the successes and failures of the initial phases, with the focus shifting to increasing access to basic sanitation and the production of fortified flour.

WFP Anticipatory Action

Heavy rainfall associated with El Niño in November 2023 triggered flooding, causing internal displacements and contributing to food insecurity among Burundi’s rural population. Given that 90% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture, the country is vulnerable to experiencing a severe shortage of essential food commodities during intense climate disasters.

The World Food Program (WFP), in partnership with the Burundi Red Cross, activated the Anticipatory Action Plan to safeguard the livelihoods of those facing heightened food insecurity caused by the El Niño period. In August, the WFP assisted nearly 7,900 households in constructing resilient structures, including kitchen gardens and small animal breeding facilities, with the aim of enhancing access to nutritional food sources.

An Education and Child Nutrition Program

The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture initiated, serves as a global feeding program aimed at assisting more than 31 million children in 48 countries. In 2022, Burundi became the latest participant in the program, gaining 6,000 metric tons of U.S. commodities and 2,000 metric tons of local commodities to assist in school meal provisions. More than 80,000 Burundian children were predicted to benefit from the aid.

While these initiatives demonstrate the government’s ongoing commitment to battle malnutrition, significant challenges continue to persist. Issues such as persistent poverty, lack of awareness and limited access to health care continue to hinder progress. Therefore, additional evaluation mechanisms must undergo development to ensure the effective implementation of these programs and extend their reach to a larger segment of the population, thereby building upon the progress the country has initiated. The government must continue to focus its efforts on new, modified programs to alleviate the suffering among all men, women and children enduring the effects of chronic malnutrition in Burundi.

– Megha Gupta
Photo: Flickr