Partnership with the Mpimba Prison Bujumbura, Burundi

Published on February 17, 2017 Updated on February 20, 2017
Country: Burundi
Capital: Bujumbura                                           
Population: 10,48 million inhabitants (2015)
Official languages: Kirundi and French
City: Bujumbura
Name of the institution : Mpimba Prison
Project holders at Mpimba Prison: SWAA Burundi and the prison’s general management
Project holders at CHU of Nantes: Dr. Bénédicte Bonnet, Dr. Sabelline Bouchez-Perrault, Christelle Supiot, Catherine David, Sandrine Deniaud, Cécile Brunet-François (infectious and tropical diseases department)
Partners: GIP ESTHER, Région des Pays de la Loire


The project
A team from the infectious and tropical diseases department from the CHU de Nantes has been conducting together with the SWAA Burundi (NGO of Burundi), a capacity building program for the care of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Mpimba Prison in Bujumbura. ESTHER initials this program and is the principal financer. The Région des Pays de la Loire, co- partner of this program provided co-financing to the CHU de Nantes for its implementation. 

The priorities are: improving prevention, screening, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), tuberculosis and HIV treatment; environmental improvement for the prison staff in contact with HIV/AIDS in-mates; improving prevention of HIV/AIDS mother to child transmissions.

Realizations :

  • National Reflection Days on the treatment of in-mates with HIV/AIDS (2010, 2012);
  • awareness and screening of new in-mates for HIV, AIDS, STD and tuberculosis;
  • systematic screening for all new in-mates (April 2011);
  • treatment and care after HIV/AIDS screening;
  • training support for nurses and peer educators on HIV, STD, tuberculosis, screening and counseling;
  • training support for nurses : gynecological care and prevention for mother-to-child transmission;
  • information on HIV, tuberculosis, STD screening for the administrative and penitential staff
  • supply stocks of drugs and reagents;
  • nutritional support for the most disadvantaged HIV/AIDS in-mates;
  • networking initiative between the 11 Burundi prisons;
  • coordination of local actors involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS;
  • coordination of visits for hospitalized in-mates;
  • refurbishing of premises and allocation of supplies;
  • construction of an infirmary for women.