Issued by Department of Health
12 September 2008, Pretoria
An agreement between South Africa and Burundi will be signed in Bujumbura, Burundi on Tuesday16th Sept, to facilitate the implementation of co-operation between the two countries in the field of health. This includes strengthening interventions for safe motherhood; strengthening hospital services; reducing malaria morbidity and mortality and the referral of Burundian patients to public health facilities in South Africa.
This follows to a request by President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi to President Thabo Mbeki in June 2006 to consider treating Burundians in South Africa.
In addition to the Co-operation Agreement, a protocol for referring patients from Burundi to South Africa will be signed. The protocol also deals with issues of short-term capacity building for specialists and hospital managers, as well as issues related to health infrastructure, health technology and telemedicine.
The Department of Health's involvement is aligned to the South African Government's Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development agenda for sustainable peace and development, and also takes into account the national goals and priorities as set out in the Burundi's National Health Policy: 2005-2015.
Contact Charity Bhengu 083 679 7424