The country
Burundi is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region, between Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Its landscape is largely hilly and mountainous. Since 2019 the political capital has been Gitega, while Bujumbura remains the main economic centre. Around 80% of the population lives off agriculture, mostly subsistence farming, and coffee and tea are the main export crops. The economy is among the most fragile in the world: after years of very high inflation, only recently easing, recurrent fuel shortages continue to weigh on daily life, and about two thirds of the population live in extreme poverty.
According to United Nations estimates, Burundi has around 14 million inhabitants living in an area slightly smaller than Belgium, making it one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. The population is very young, with more than 40% under the age of 15, and women have, on average, almost five children. Life expectancy at birth is about 62 years for men and 66 for women.
Independent since 1962, the country went through a long civil war between 1993 and 2005, which ended with the Arusha peace agreements and a new constitution. Today, Burundi is also dealing with the consequences of the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: according to UNHCR, around 80,000 people fleeing the South Kivu region arrived in the country in December 2025 alone.
The country has significantly reduced child mortality, but many challenges remain. More than half of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, and malaria is the leading cause of illness. A shortage of foreign currency also makes it difficult to import medicines and medical equipment. Neonatal mortality stands at 20 deaths per 1,000 live births, while maternal mortality, at 392 deaths per 100,000 live births, is among the highest in the region. This is why the Foundation works in Burundi through the NEST Model (Neonatal Essentials for Survival and Thriving), improving the quality of care for the most vulnerable newborns.
(Sources: United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024; UN IGME; WHO; UNICEF; UNDP, Human Development Report 2025; World Bank; African Development Bank; WFP)
Burundi in numbers
Burundi in numbers
Our intervention
The Paolo Chiesi Foundation has been operating in Burundi since 2014, through a collaboration with the Amahoro pro Africa Association and the Ngozi Regional Hospital, with the aim of improving the quality of neonatal care and strengthening the care of premature and complicated newborns.
After supporting the establishment of the Kangaroo Care unit at Ngozi Regional Hospital, the Foundation initiated a program aimed at expanding Kangaroo Care in Butanyerera Province, northern Burundi. A national manual, educational materials, and a cascading training model for trainers were developed. This program led, in 2023, to the Ministry of Health’s recognition of Ngozi Regional Hospital as a national reference center for Kangaroo Care training and the validation of the training materials nationwide.
Subsequently, the program was extended to the six provincial hospitals in Butanyerera province through training of Kangaroo Care coordinators and support for the launch of dedicated units. Since 2025, in collaboration with WeWorld, the Ministry of Health, and the National Reproductive Health Program, the intervention has entered a new phase aimed at bringing Kangaroo Care to health centers and communities, involving Community Health Officers to ensure continuity of care between the hospital, the community, and families.
At the same time, the Foundation continues to support capacity building at Ngozi Regional Hospital through infrastructure improvements, the introduction of appropriate technologies for managing neonatal respiratory distress, such as bubble CPAP, the development of clinical protocols, and healthcare staff training. These interventions now enable the hospital to offer more effective respiratory care to premature and complicated newborns, consolidating its role as a referral center for neonatal care in the region.
Our intervention
The Paolo Chiesi Foundation has been operating in Burundi since 2014, through a collaboration with the Amahoro pro Africa Association and the Ngozi Regional Hospital, with the aim of improving the quality of neonatal care and strengthening the care of premature and complicated newborns.
After supporting the establishment of the Kangaroo Care unit at Ngozi Regional Hospital, the Foundation initiated a program aimed at expanding Kangaroo Care in Butanyerera Province, northern Burundi. A national manual, educational materials, and a cascading training model for trainers were developed. This program led, in 2023, to the Ministry of Health’s recognition of Ngozi Regional Hospital as a national reference center for Kangaroo Care training and the validation of the training materials nationwide.
Subsequently, the program was extended to the six provincial hospitals in Butanyerera province through training of Kangaroo Care coordinators and support for the launch of dedicated units. Since 2025, in collaboration with WeWorld, the Ministry of Health, and the National Reproductive Health Program, the intervention has entered a new phase aimed at bringing Kangaroo Care to health centers and communities, involving Community Health Officers to ensure continuity of care between the hospital, the community, and families.
At the same time, the Foundation continues to support capacity building at Ngozi Regional Hospital through infrastructure improvements, the introduction of appropriate technologies for managing neonatal respiratory distress, such as bubble CPAP, the development of clinical protocols, and healthcare staff training. These interventions now enable the hospital to offer more effective respiratory care to premature and complicated newborns, consolidating its role as a referral center for neonatal care in the region.
Our main activities in Burundi
Strengthening Ngozi Regional Hospital’s capacity to care for newborns with respiratory distress and introducing appropriate technologies (Bubble CPAP)
Dissemination of Kangaroo Care, through the development of training materials, cascading training of health professionals and extension of the model from hospital to community
Creation of a hospital-territory-community neonatal care network, involving provincial hospitals, health centers and Community Health Agents
We also work in
