Our interventions are focused on patient needs beyond medical care through a holistic approach to health. We want to create a world where access to prevention and health services is not a privilege but an unalienable right. We want to treat everyone as a complete individual with physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. The main focus of The Village Microclinic is the improvement of child and maternal health in Burundi to achieve sustainable development for communities of Burundi.
The Village Microclinic is part of the 2030 Development agenda and proudly contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 3 and 4 to build a just and prosperous world where no one is left behind. Namely, The Village Microclinic focuses on:
- SDG 1: Zero poverty
- SDG 2: Zero hunger
- SDG 3: Good health and well-being
- SDG 4: Quality education
By uniting with other stakeholders to achieve by 2030 the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, The Village Microclinic can play an indispensable role in the UN’s mission to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”
Why we do that
In Burundi, an unacceptable number of people, mostly women, infants and children, continue to suffer or die untreated from conditions that are preventable and treatable such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections, malnutrition and non communicable diseases. Over 50 per cent of women deliver at home without the assistance of a qualified professional. 41 babies out of every 1,000 live births die in the first four weeks of birth – about 16,000 child deaths per year. Only 64 per cent of the population has access to potable drinking water, while just 32 per cent use adequate sanitation facilities. An estimated 88 per cent of deaths from diarrhea are attributed to poor hygiene practices, unsafe drinking-water supplies and inadequate access to sanitation.
Moreover, many patients in Burundi are not able to afford cost of the trip and health services delivery. Therefore, they prefer stay and die at home untreated. Maternal and child mortality rate are among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as too early and too frequent pregnancies. The situation is worse in peri-urban settings where the vast majority of people live on less than a half dollar per day.
Peri-urban areas and slums in Burundi are characterized by lack of proper sanitation, safe drinking water, or systematic garbage collection. The people live in small and overcrowded houses with a high incidence of tuberculosis and HIV. Many families live on less than two meals every three days. 65% of children under the age of 15 are out of school.