Burundian experience gains international attention

For the first time in the history of the country, the Burundian experience of fighting neglected tropical diseases was presented orally at the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meeting

In December 2008, the city of New-Orleans hosted the 57th meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). Every year, the most eminent personalities in epidemiology and public health gather for this event, during which the latest findings and innovations are presented and shared for the benefits of the whole community, especially the population suffering from tropical diseases and poor hygiene.

For the first time in the history of the country, the Burundian experience of fighting neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) was presented orally at the ASTMH meeting. It highlighted the tremendous work that the local staff put into making the integrated NTD Control programme the success it is.

The presentation was so well received that the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, which was to meet also in New-Orleans just after the ASTMH, requested that the Burundian experience be presented again during its own meeting, in order to complement discussions on the best strategy forward in terms of mapping NTDs across Africa.

In both meetings, the strategy followed by the Burundian NTD Control programme was considered thought-provoking as well as efficient.